The Ties that Bind
by Highway Girl
Summary: Hermione is kidnapped by Draco and Pansy who are out for revenge. As Pansy leaves to manipulate Ron, Draco is left with Hermione. They talk, they laugh and they fight (mostly fight). Also, Harry loves Luna and Ginny and Blaise have a flirty thing.
1. The Beginning of the Saga

**Disclaimer: Do I really have to say I don't own this? Talkstolawyers I do? I don't own anything you recognize. I do own several flunkies, a couple of teens, Sev's wife and his brat, the boat, and the town. I own a town! Oh… and the café. Ha!**

**Author's Note: Ever see General Hospital? No? Oh well. Basically it's a soap opera. That's what a few of these story lines are based on as well as a few sets. Not many though. It will turn out to be vastly different than General Hospital but this is how it starts out.**

**I did try this once before, but it was really horrible. I revised, complicated and really just made it better.**

**Spoilers up to and including The Order of the Phoenix**

**Rating: PG-13 for language, violence, kiddnapping, and sexual themes**

**The Ties that Bind**

Chapter One:

_Drip, drip, drip._

Hermione Granger-Weasley looked out the window drearily as the small raindrops patted down on the cement windowsill outside her office. Lightning occasionally streaked against the grey-midnight blue sky in mesmerizing patterns. Normally Hermione loved rain. She loved to walk in it; she loved the patterns it made as it streaked down the windows before the drop disappeared. Not today though, for today Hermione was stuck inside working on some proposal to make around three powerful and manipulative people very happy.

She sighed as she spun around in her chair and put both her elbows on the desk and stared at the door, hoping against hope for someone, _anyone_, to come in. Hermione tapped the tip of her quill lightly against the top of the oak desk. She glanced at her clock for what seemed like the thousandth time as the tapping got louder and louder. Hermione breathed a sigh of relief as she saw it was six o'clock.

Hermione walked over to the heavy door and walked out nodding at her secretary who, as usual, was gossiping away with the new head of Muggle Artifacts.

Three years after the fall of Lord Voldemort the Weasleys, the remaining Weasleys, came into some money from a dead uncle who they had long since talked to. Because of that, Arthur Weasley was able to retire comfortably and let him help his sons, one of them being her husband, fund his Quidditch business.

Hermione apparated quickly to her house and flopped down on the blue couch with a sigh. She looked around the darkened house and came to the conclusion that her husband was not home. Again.

Her husband, Ron, had been working longer hours than her, the Minister of Magic! She found it both ridiculous and unnecessary but Ron would do anything to beat the competition, Blaise Zabini.

Ron had hated Blaise ever since the Lavender Brown incident, which was now never mentioned in the house. Hermione rolled her eyes and crossed her arms over her chest darkly. Lavender Brown was the one girl that Ron could never turn down. What ever Lavender wanted all she would have to do is Floo Ron and it scared her.

Hermione got up and walked up the stairs, absentmindedly taking off her earrings. Lavender still loved Ron, Hermione was sure. Lavender had plenty of chances though, but she left. Went off to Australia, only talked about by Parvati, the head of the cosmetics company in town and Ginny, Hermione's own best friend. At least Luna was, for once, tactful enough not to mention it around her.

Hermione changed into a pair of dark blue jeans and a black top. She took her hair out of its usual bun and wrinkled her nose as her long, immensely bushy, cinnamon coloured hair fell ungracefully over her shoulders and down her back. The hair stuck up in the oddest of places and seemed to never have been brushed.

_Lavender's hair was always graceful,_ Hermione thought as she scowled at her hair in the reflection of the mirror. She remembered enviously of Lavender's long, shiny, dark brown hair that seemed as though it were brushed constantly. Hermione was lucky if she got a brush through hers. Hermione shook her head at the stupidity of the thought. Hermione always prided herself for not being one of the conceded girls who stared at them selves for hours in the mirror, trying to fix the slightest imperfection. Be it an odd freckle or a sever mass of hair.

Hermione ran a brush quickly through her hair before Apparated to the local café to see her two best female friends, Ginny Weasley and Luna Lovegood.

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Draco Malfoy stared out at the dark blue ocean as the waves crashed loudly against the side of the boat. He breathed in loudly through his nose and exhaled just as loudly. If his mother had been there she would have turned her nose up disapprovingly. _"It's not proper Draco, act like an adult," _she would have said, before she went back to whatever official she had over "_for tea and tea alone, Draco_".

He glanced to the side at the man, bound and gagged, and let a smirk slowly cross his face. "So," he started. "Do you, Mr. Corner, think it would be wise to take money from me? Or did you just think yourself clever enough to get away with it." He asked as he blinked innocently and took the gag from his mouth.

"I'm sorry." Michael Corner apologized. "I didn't mean to I-"

"You didn't _mean to_." Draco mocked him as Pansy Parkinson let out a cruel laugh from behind the man in the chair. "You didn't mean to." Draco repeated. "After I, so nicely I may add, gave you the money to pay off your many, many gambling debts, from one of my friend's casino's no less. And you just happened to try and skip the country? Well I must tell you Mr. Corner, my mother raised me to have manners, something yours obviously didn't."

"I didn't…"

"Mean to," Pansy mocked unsympathetically as she leaned over Michael Corner's shoulder. She shook her blonde hair off her face and grinned nastily at him. "We got it, Corner. Did you really think you would get out of Spain so easily? We have people everywhere, everywhere. Some you would never… guess." Pansy said lowering her voice dangerously. "All are smarter than you, Ravenclaw. Trust me on this."

"You're all evil!" Michael spit out acidly as he struggled against the binds that dug harshly into his wrists.

Draco and Pansy laughed together. "Aww, we're hurt! Really, I don't know if I'll ever recover!" Draco insisted disdainfully as he bat his eyes in a mock tearful manner. "We didn't force you to enlist our help, Mr. Corner." Draco said still laughing. "In fact, if memory serves, I asked you _not_ to enlist our help. I didn't want to be responsible for your… untimely death, if it come to that." Draco shook his head and turned to Theodore Nott, "take him to a room." He commanded.

Theodore nodded obediently and dragged the man off the ships deck. "You got off lucky." He told the man as he shut the door. "They haven't killed you. _Yet_. _I_ haven't killed you _yet_."

Draco turned to Pansy and shrugged. "They never learn do they?"

"Well, on the other hand," Pansy started as she put a hand on her cheek thoughtfully. "The less they learn, the more money we make." She pointed out.

"True, Pansy, true. But the less they learn, the more they get hurt. And we don't want that now do we?" He said scathingly as he wagged a finger in front of her face.

"No, never." She bit out sarcastically. "Last thing I would want." She said as a smirk began to play on her face.

Gregory Goyle came out onto the deck. "Letter for you Malfoy. From Vega." He said as he took the letter out of the pocket of his suit and gave it to his boss.

Draco's face softened visibly as he grabbed the letter from Goyle. "Thank you," he said as he waved a hand for Goyle to leave. He tore at the seal as Pansy ran to try and read over his shoulder. He took the heavy parchment out of its envelope. "Calm down, Pans," he said to his best friend who was trying to look over his shoulder. "I will read it out loud.

"_Bonjour Draco, Pansy and the rest!_

_I am having such a blast in my last few days of the term here at Beauxbaton! I'm looking forward to meeting you, Draco, at the train station in Paris. Or will someone else pick me up?_

_I got all O's and E's on my tests this term and I'm sure I did all right on my end of the year exams. My teacher's all said I surpasse leur expedition. Their words, not mine._

_I hope to see you soon and I'm sure we'll have a great summer, _

_Yours,_

_Vega."_

Draco folded the letter and placed it in his pocket when he finished reading. A small smile played on his face. Vega was his first cousin on his mother's side. Vega was the sixteen-year-old daughter of his now deceased Aunt Bellatrix and Uncle Rodolphus. When they died, Draco's mother Narcissa was given custody of the then five-year-old when Draco was nineteen.

Narcissa was then a widow and wanted nothing more than to run to some tropical island and have casual sex with young, rich bachelors. Something Draco wanted Vega to have nothing to do with so he took her and moved her to one of his more permanent homes in France.

"I'm so proud!" Pansy squealed. Pansy had helped Draco with Vega, Draco knowing nothing about raising girls. Vega quickly became the younger sister Pansy never wanted until she had one.

"Mr. Malfoy?" A random "associate" of Draco and Pansy's said as he stuck his head out the door. "Mr. Corner's acting up."

Draco nodded as he stalked through the door. "When do we dock?" Draco asked his associate.

"Twenty minutes." He answered shortly.

"Good. I have been working on a plan. Schedule a meeting in five minutes." Draco ordered the man. "While I go look after Mr. Corner."

-------------

Harry Potter, a.k.a The Boy Who Lived, a.k.a. The Man Who Killed You-Know-Who, a.k.a The Pain in the Death Eater's Ass walked down the corridor of the Wizarding Protection Organization a.k.a The W.P.O.

Harry worked as an agent for The W.P.O and for his ex-Potion's Master and his father's best friend.

After the end of the Second war when Harry was nineteen, Severus Snape and Remus Lupin set up The W.P.O as a private organization against the Dark Arts, as a contradiction to the Aurors, who seemed to be doing nothing but sit on their asses and drink. Two other head member's of The W.P.O were Severus's wife Amélie and Remus's wife Nymphadora, or Tonks if you didn't want to get your arm broken.

Harry popped into the head office and smiled as he saw Severus and Amélie having yet another fight.

"I can't pick Sage and Sirius up from the station! I have to go to Russia that week!" Severus yelled at his wife. "You have to go!"

"I 'ave to go to Spain zat day!" Amélie said exasperatedly as she tossed her black hair over her shoulder. "It would be 'ard for me to get _les enfants_! Can they not just go on zee Knight Bus?" She asked him.

"No child of mine is traveling on that!" Severus exclaimed. Harry covered his mouth to hide his laughter. Professor Snape still thought himself above _public_ _transport_. "It's a death trap. Have you seen the speed those, those _things_ travel at?"

"Hey!" Harry interrupted. "I'll go pick them up from the station," he said as he threw a folder on the table in front of them.

"Oh, would you 'Arry? We would be so grateful if you would. Remus and Tonks are in America at zee moment." Amélie explained to the younger boy.

"What's this?" Severus asked him as he opened the tan folder and looked at the picture. "Nott?"

"Rumor in France is he's working for this mobster, who we have no information at the current time on. We're hearing he's an enforcer type, kills and collects information for this mob boss. Everything I've found in folder." Harry said as he backed out of the room. "I'll pick up the kids!" Harry yelled as he left the room.

Amélie smiled up at Severus. "What a nice boy!" She complimented the younger wizard as she smiled at her husband. "So polite."

Severus raised an eyebrow at the French witch before rolling his eyes and dragging her out of the room.

----------

Luna Lovegood smiled widely as she put the dirty dishes off the table and onto a tray. She stood up straightly and balanced the tray on her head and grabbed the two other trays off of the small, circle table.

"Luna!" Luna's co-worker and one of her best friends Ginny Weasley exclaimed as she took the tray off the blonde's head. "If you needed help you could have just asked!"

Hermione tried to hide her laughter by turning it into a cough before she took the other tray from the blonde. "I remember being a waitress." She sighed reminiscently.

"Oh yeah, because it is so much better than being the Minister of Magic!" Ginny snorted sarcastically as she tucked a piece of scarlet hair behind her ear. "The pay is just too good to pass up here."

"Well, it's a hell of a lot more interesting!" Hermione sighed as she put the tray next to the dishwasher. "The past month has been so quite." She said as she followed Ginny out of to the main room.

"You would think that would be a good thing." Ginny said as she made her way over to a table. "Hey Blaise." Ginny greeted her brother's enemy. She loved serving Blaise, he tipped really well. "What can I get you?" Ginny asked him sweetly.

"Well if it isn't my favourite waitress!" Blaise said as he looked up from his extensive paperwork. "How are you today, Ginny?" He asked as he smiled at her.

Ginny grinned back and put the pad of parchment and quill back in the front pocket of her small, navy apron. "I'm doing alright. Works a little drab."

"I'm just waiting for the time you give up the nine-to-five and join me in concurring the business world." Blaise remarked as he always did. "It would piss your brother off to no end." He said as he smirked.

"Always a plus." Ginny said as she shifted slightly. Blaise was very convincing when he wanted to be. Ginny always wondered how Lavender could pick her brother Ron over the millionaire, black-haired, gray eyed playboy Wizard sitting in front of her. Ginny found Blaise very attractive, as most who crossed his path did. He was dressed in his usual suit, which was very expensive by all accounts. His black hair was spiked slightly at the tips and his grey eyes peered at her under heavy lashes. "So what can I get you?" She repeated, shaking her head slightly.

Blaise looked off for a moment in thought. "I think I'll have my usual." He answered as he smiled brightly at her. "Don't forget my offer, Ginny. You have a good mind, I could give you any number of jobs at my corporation." Blaise said as he handed her his business card.

Ginny nodded at him as she tucked the business card in her forest green apron. "As usual Blaise, I will think very hard about your job offer. Who knows? Maybe this time I'll take it!" Ginny shrugged and went behind the counter that Hermione was sitting at.

"You would think it would be a good thing." Hermione continued, sighing. "But being the Minister when nothing exciting is going on is the most boring job in the world! No wonder Fudge could do it for so long." She sighed as she stood up. "I should be heading home." She said to her two friends as Luna went behind the counter.

Luna watched as Hermione walked out of the Café. "She's very unhappy," Luna pointed out as the door closed behind the brunette. "Ron hasn't been around very often." Luna said as she walked over to a nearby table.

Ginny nodded as she took Blaise's coffee, black- two sugars and a chocolate muffin. "I can't believe how Ron is acting these days." Ginny said sympathetically as she sat across from Blaise.

"He missed Lavender." Blaise pointed out as he wrote on one of the papers in front of him. "It's understandable. The way she just came back last year, and then dropped him again. I may have loved her, but she can be unbelievably cruel, especially to those she thinks are a threat to her happiness."

"I just can't believe this is happening. I always thought they were happy." Ginny sighed as she took a piece of Blaise's muffin. "And with those two children I call my nephew's…."

----------

Hermione walked out the door and into the warm night. It was two weeks into June and the weather was perfect. She walked down some steps to the docks and stared out onto the waters. She crossed her arms and let out a huge sigh. She highly doubted that Ron would be home yet, but she could get started on new proposals for the Wizarding World.

"Well, well, well." A cool voice came from behind her. Hermione turned around swiftly on her heel to meet the cold, light blue eyes of Pansy Parkinson. "If it isn't Little Missy Mudblood!" Pansy taunted as she smoothed down her short black dress and sauntered down the stairs that lead to the pier. She stopped in front of Hermione, crossed her arms and smirked.

Hermione stared at the other woman for a second before recovering. "Well, Parkinson! I see you haven't changed your wardrobe one bit." Hermione said as she indicated to Pansy's signature colour, black. "It's good to see you." Hermione said sarcastically.

"Ditto." Pansy replied shortly, rolling her eyes. "So I hear you're the head of the English magic government." Pansy said as she placed a hand on her hip and the other on her chin. "Nice to see how down hill things have gone since I left. Really, mudbloods in office."

Hermione's eyes narrowed. "And I suppose it would be presumptuous to assume that you voted for me." Hermione said coolly as she raised an eyebrow.

"One, this isn't a democracy, two, I was in France at the time and three, no, I wouldn't have." Pansy responded. "But I bet you'd never guess what I've been up to." Pansy said as she grinned unkindly at Hermione.

"Trying to bring Voldemort back from the dead?" Hermione asked, her voice dripping with mock sweetness. Pansy Parkinson was one of the only people who made her act as if she were fourteen years old again.

"Close," Pansy smirked as she drew her wand out of the back of her dress. She stunned Hermione and bent down to her level. "But not _quite_." She motioned to two men standing in the shadows. "Bring her to the boat boys. I think Draco will be quite, _happy_, with this." She hummed a random tune merrily as she walked behind the two large men and the Minister of Magic.

**Author's Note**: Please **review**! I do take suggestions!

-

- Catherine

-

January 3rd, 2004


	2. Waking Up, Lies and Finding Out

**Disclaimer**: Right… I really don't own Harry or Luna or Draco or Hermione yadda, yadda, yadda.

I do on the other hand own Port Ryan, The Café, a yacht and various OC's. If they're not mentioned in the books, they belong to moi!

**Author's Note**: Ever see General Hospital? No? Oh well. Basically it's a soap opera. Some storylines are based on the storylines from General Hospital.

No Sonny though, because he's an ass.

I did try this once before, but it was really horrible. I revised, complicated and really just made it better.

Spoilers up to and including The Order of the Phoenix

**Rating**: PG-14 for language, violence, kidnapping, and sexual themes.

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_Tap, tap, tap._

Pansy's three-inch black, leather stiletto pumps made a resounding tapping noise on the hard wooden floors of that graced the yacht. "DRA-CO!" Pansy yelled happily as she walked on the boat, pushing by the two overly large men and the stunned Minister of Magic. "DR-A-CO" She yelled again, twirling happily in circles.

Draco walked out of his bedroom as he heard a loud voice calling his name from the other end of the boat. He walked swiftly down the hall and stopped in front of Pansy. "Do you mind not yelling, Pans? Honestly, I was working. And stop twirling, you're scratching up the floors with your unnecessary shoes." He scolded.

"What kind of business? Legal or illegal?" Pansy asked, smirking as she stopped twirling and pushed past him. She deliberately ignored his comment about her shoes. She sat on a chair in the hall and crossed her legs. She propped her elbow on her knee and looked overly interested.

"What do you think?" Draco asked as he raised an eyebrow. He walked over to the stunned Hermione and looked down. "Well, looks like our favourite Gryffindor princess is all grown up. Take her to her room." He commanded the two men.

Pansy put her hands on either side of the chair and stood up. She took a step towards Draco. "So how's your plan going to work, huh Dray?" Pansy asked her boss as she crossed her arms and tilted her head to one side. "We kidnap the Minister then get thrown in Azkaban?"

"Pans, if you had something to say, you should have thought of it before." Draco said as he turned to face his best friend. "And never call me Dray." He added as an after thought before he turned on his heel and walked in the direction his two flunkies had left.

Pansy stormed after him, "I have just as much right as you to know what your planning on doing, Draco!" She exclaimed as she threw her arms down. "I'm just as much a part of this as anyone! More so than those two! We're in this together, _always_!" Pansy insisted as she stomped her foot stubbornly.

Draco spun to face her. "We're going to do what we always wanted to do, Pansy. We're going to ruin their lives." Draco sneered.

"You're still bitter about that? Draco, that was twelve years ago! We all grew up and got lives and forgot!" Pansy exclaimed.

"You may not care anymore, Pansy, but I do! Do you don't care that they are the _only_ reason your brother is dead today?" Draco asked her and immediately regretted it. Pansy narrowed her eyes at him as they began to swim with tears, making her blue eyes seem glassier than usual. "I'm sorry, Pans," Draco sighed as he drew her into a hug. "I didn't mean it, I'm sorry."

When Pansy was in her sixth year of Hogwarts, the Aurors murdered her Death Eater parents. She was sent to live with her older brother, Anthony, whom she loved and adored. Just after she left Hogwarts in her seventh year, her brother was murdered in front of her. After which she went to live with Draco and his mother.

Pansy nodded against Draco's chest, her hands covering her face. She stepped back from him and wiped her mascara and tear streaked face. "I know you didn't mean it Draco." She said as she patted down her now-messy blonde hair. "They're the reason I have no brother, father and mother. They're the reason you have no father, aunt and uncle. We have every right in the world to destroy the little lives they've made." Pansy said with new assurance.

"I knew you'd say that Pansy!" Draco said excitedly as he ducked into her room. He reached under her bed and drew out a large, black suitcase. He threw open her closet doors and looked over at the sea of black. He raised an eyebrow and looked over at Pansy.

"It's my favourite colour." She said as she shifted her feet. "The real question here is why in the hell are you packing for me?" Pansy walked over to where Draco was and closed the closet door. "I'm not going anywhere." She said stubbornly as she sat on her fluffy bed. She crossed her legs and glared up at Draco.

"Yes, you are." Draco said as he opened the door again and looked at her clothes. "I've never realized how slutty all of your clothes were." Draco commented as he took a couple black dresses out of her closet and threw them on the bed. "You are going to take our little plan to land," Draco said. "You are going to get Weasley to fall in love with you." Draco said as he threw some more clothes on the bed.

Pansy's eyes widened and she shook her head slowly. "Draco, I can't do that." She said slowly. "It would never work." She said as she looked at him in confusion. "Weasley would never love me. He doesn't even tolerate me. That's part of the enemy thing we have going on. I'm very comfortable with that." Pansy rambled on.

Draco rolled his eyes as Pansy babbled. "It will work, Pans. From what I've read in the paper recently, the little Weasley's have had trouble in paradise. Do you really think that Weasley could stand Granger for that long?" Draco asked as he smirked. "She's a know-it-all and self-righteous. She's a very annoying girl. Always has been, always will be." Draco looked at the expression on Pansy's face. "Just don't argue with me on this one. Please, Pansy. Just trust me on this one, I know what I'm doing."

Pansy sighed and backed down. "On the condition that I pack for myself. No offence or anything, Dray, but there's a reason Vega always wants me to go shopping. I mean, I'll call you if I need a suit…" She said as she raised her head and gave him a half-smile.

Draco smiled back at his oldest friend and stepped away from the closet. "Done and done. Now if you don't mind I'll be going to check on our newest guest." He said as he walked out of the room. He stuck his head back in the room and mock glared at her, "Don't call me Dray." He said before walking out.

Draco walked down the hall of the yacht, sneering at the occasional lackey. He stopped in front of the door to the room that held the Minister of Magic. "How is she?" He asked Goyle, who was standing guard of the room.

"'Bout the same." Goyle responded arms crossed carelessly over his chest. "We took the spell off, she tried to get away. Amateur." He snorted in amusement.

"You'd think she'd never been kidnapped before." Draco said sarcastically. "You can take a break," he told Goyle. Goyle nodded and walked away. Draco opened the door only to be tackled by Hermione. "Hey there, Princess," he said as he pushed her back into the room. "Don't want to regret anything, do you?" He said as he grabbed her by her upper arms and pulled her to him.

"Are you threatening me?" She asked him in a dangerously low voice that tickled his face and blew a lock of his hair back. "Let me go now and I'll make sure you don't go to Azkaban. For long." She added as she pulled away.

"Well isn't that just the most compelling thing you've ever heard?" Draco said in a mocking Southern accent. "I'm convinced. Go home." Draco said sarcastically. Hermione tried to run past him and he caught her around the waist. He spun her around, picked her up and dropped her on the springy bed. "Obviously you don't know sarcasm." Draco muttered under his breath.

He looked down at the muggle-born. Her hair was still bushy and stuck out in different directions. She had large brown eyes with thick eyelashes lining them. Her features hadn't changed to a great degree, but she seemed different. Older and her eyes seemed to convey she had been to hell and back. Something Draco was use to seeing when he looked at himself in the mirror.

Hermione looked up at Draco with scared brown eyes. "Are you going to kill me?" Hermione asked him without fear in her voice even if her eyes did give it away.

Draco sighed and sat on to the edge of the bed beside Hermione. "No, Mrs. Weasley, I'm not going to kill you. After all, how good is a hostage if they're dead? First rule in the kidnapping handbook is not to kill them. Then, somehow it's considered murdering." Draco snorted. "Like I'm scared of that."

Hermione glared at him from her position on her bed as she pulled her legs up to her chest. "You're not going to get away with this, Malfoy." She warned him as sneered.

Draco bent over and looked her right in the eye. "Who's going to stop me, hmm? You're little husband? Do you think he even knows you're gone?"

-------

Ron Weasley stumbled through his door and looked around his darkened house. He sighed as he flopped down in his favourite chair. "Hermione?" He called out. His voice bounced off the too white walls in an echo and he frowned. Hermione was always home by this late.

Ron stood up and walked over to his fireplace. He bent down and threw a pinch of Floo powder in, "Luna Lovegood!" He yelled into the now-green flames.

Luna's blonde head appeared in the fireplace and she smiled dreamily at him. "Well hello, Ronald!" She said politely.

"Have you seen Hermione, Luna?" Ron asked getting right to the point. In truth, Ron supposed he had been a little rude, but it was just Luna.

"She came to the café this afternoon. She wanted to go home, maybe you should check the docks." Luna suggested as her head disappeared.

Ron sighed and raised himself to his feet as he put out the fire. He turned on his heel and stomped out the door. In the two years he's been married to Hermione, he had never known her to be late. Hell, for as well as he had known her in the last nineteen years she had only been late a few times.

_Lavender was always late,_ he found himself thinking before immediately feeling guilty. Ron had found himself thinking more and more about his past relationship with Lavender in the past few months. He found himself constantly compare Hermione to Lavender. Ron often wondered if Lavender stayed in this town, in Port Ryan would he have married to Hermione? Or would he have another child with Lavender?

When Ron reached the docks he looked around and called, "Hermione?" several times. When nobody answered he turned to leave.

"Weasley!" He heard someone gasp for breath from behind him. He turned quickly around, his eyes searching for the voice while his hand went to his wand. After the years of living in Port Ryan and before that dealing with Voldemort and his Death Eaters have taught him anything, it was to always have his wand ready.

His eyes landed on a sopping wet Pansy Parkinson. Her black dress was torn with buttons missing from the top and her make-up was smudged. There was a long line of black mascara down her right cheek and her eyeliner was smudged all over her eyelids. Ron was always used to seeing Pansy looking ideal. "Parkinson?" Ron asked as he took a stepped closer to the sopping wet woman, his hand still on his wand. "What happened to you?" He asked her.

"I was attacked!" She lied smoothly. In truth, all Pansy did was run her blonde hair under the taps in her bathroom. Her make-up was already smudged due to when she had cried. She found her old dress that was torn; thanks to Ettore Alonzo the last time she was in Italy, in her rag box and soaked it in the tub. "They-they took the Minister! They took Granger!" She exclaimed as she fell to her knees in a coughing fit, all while congratulating herself on her smooth and quick lies.

Ron felt as though his heart had stopped. His vision went blurry and his hand released the wand he was holding onto. The wand fell to the wooden docks with a light thud that made Pansy looked up from her coughing fit. He looked back at the fallen girl before he helped her to her feet. "Who were they?" Ron asked angrily as the tips of his ears turned bright red.

Pansy shook her head furiously before she covered her face with her hands. "I don't know!" She exclaimed as she tried to think up a story. "There were two men, I think. Maybe more. I was talking to Granger and they stunned her. I tried to make for her wand and they grabbed me, tore my dress then threw me into the water." She grimaced inside on the far-fetched lie.

Pansy was pleased he even visibly bought the lie. _Stupid Gryffindor's,_ she thought to herself. _Why wouldn't I have my wand?_

"Where was your wand?" Ron asked desperately as he searched the docks for any remain of these two men. ."Why didn't you have it?"

_Shit_, Pansy thought to herself. "It's in my suitcase," Pansy said after a moment's silence. "I just came here from France and I put my wand in my suitcase for safe keeping. I must admit that it was poor planning. I don't even have a place to stay." Pansy said as she lowered her head. She glanced quickly at Ron from one eye before looking back at the docks.

Ron closed his eyes and rubbed his hand over his forehead. "I'm going to regret this," he said softly under his breath before looking at Pansy. "You can stay with me for a while."

"Do you mean it?" Pansy said trying to sound grateful. Inside all Pansy was doing was attempting to do was hide the immense disgust she felt for having to sleep in a bed that may have once occupied a Mudblood and a Weasley. "Can I really stay with you?"

Ron went over to Pansy's fallen suitcase and he picked it up. "Come on, we have to go to Harry's first." He told her as he began in the opposite of which he came.

Pansy's eyes widened behind his back. The last person she wanted to see more than Weasley was Pain-in-Every-Slytherin's-Ass Potter.

Harry entered the apartment he shared with his old Gryffindor friend Seamus and threw his wand and cloak on a near-by table. He turned on a light before flopping down on the black-leather couch. Seamus was most likely at either a local pub or shagging Parvati Patil. Or both. Probably both.

There was a frantic knock at the door and Harry let out a loud groan. He walked over and opened the door, only to come face to face with a mused looking Pansy Parkinson before she was pushed out of the way by Ron.

"Ron?" Harry asked his oldest friend as Ron dragged Pansy into the apartment. "May I ask what you're doing? With the Ice-Queen, no less."

Pansy raised an eyebrow and glanced over Harry. "Ice-Queen? If only you knew _who_ I've been up to the past twelve years." She leered as she crossed her arms over her chest. "May I use your bathroom?" She asked him as nicely as she could muster.

Harry nodded and pointed her in the right direction before he turned to Ron, who had thrown himself on the couch. "May I ask what in the hell you think you're doing. Or who in the hell?"

"I'm not sleeping with her, if that's what you think." Ron said as he looked up at Harry. "She was there when Hermione was kidnapped."

Harry's eyes widened. "Hermione's been kidnapped?" He said as his voice cracked. Harry couldn't bear to think of his best friend in a cell, begging for release.

"Yes, and Pansy was there, I'm going to pump her for information." Ron explained as Pansy walked out of the bathroom, toweling her hair with a white, fluffy towel.

"Well, I hope ya'll weren't talkin' 'bout little ol' me, now." Pansy said sarcastically in a fake Georgian accent. She threw her towel at Harry and crossed her arms.

"We're going," Ron said as he grabbed Pansy's arm and dragged her out of the apartment. Pansy waved a little too enthusiastically at Harry as she was pulled out into the hall. The door shut behind them and Ron dropped her arm and picked up the black suitcase.

"That is the most annoying, self-riotous 'Hero' I have ever met. Not that I've met many." Pansy said thoughtfully as Ron looked at her in annoyance. Pansy rolled her eyes. "Alright Weasley, I know I'm not exactly Humanitarian of the year or any of that shit but can you tell me why your so upset?" Pansy asked, pretending to be interested.

"You don't care." Ron said softly as he looked down at the floor. He started to walk away before Pansy stopped him.

"I might not care about what your feeling Weasley, but I'm the only one who'll listen." Ron turned around and looked questionably at her. "Do you really think The Daily Prophet will care or listen to what you say? They have Harry 'God, is he still alive?' Potter and the Aurors. The Minister may have been kidnapped but you're not famous. You, Weasley, don't sell papers nearly as fast as 'Boy-Who-Lived cries over loss of our leader'."

"Anyone ever tell you your brutally blunt?" Ron asked her before turning around and walking in the direction he was walking in before.

They walked the short distance to Ron's house and walked through the door. Pansy came face to face with a tall brunette with a small red haired child in arms. The woman handed the child to Ron who smiled at the child.

"Where were you?" A small redheaded boy asked his head cocked to the side. Pansy's eyes widened considerably as the guilt began to set in at seeing two young children. "We were waiting for you."

------------

Now, don't get too use to this fast update.

Well, I was thinking I could answer some random questions I feel need to be need to be answered. These are questions I make up, but if you have one…

**You made Pansy a blonde, but in the movies she's a blackhead. Any real reason or are you just too lazy?**

Er, well… I made her a blonde because I always assumed she was a blonde.

**That's really not an answer.**

…And that's not really a question. I made her a blonde because I read an article about a character that looked like an angel, but was really a bitch. And I mean really!

**You gave Severus a wife…?**

Well… yes. I couldn't stomach to think of Severus alone. I love him too much. His wife isn't really important. Just their daughter. Whose name is now changed to Sage.

**Like the character on General Hospital?**

No, like the spice. Severus would, of course, name his child after a spice used in potions.

Enough questions.

Now on to the reviewers!

**Ron Weasley is MY King: **My first reviewer! Gah! Thank you so much gets teary eyes

Thank you. I really do try to make the story well written. As for the plot, I would hope it's good. I've been thinking about it since fall of 2003. Yeah, I know

"**PS: Who is Harry hooked up with?"** Do you really want to know? I'll tell you that you will know in chapter four. Sorry, I need a little mystery.

**Utena**: Thank you very much!

**slyswn28: **Thank you, my friend! I'm glad you like the Slytherin's. I do want you to know they won't always be that evil. Just while they're… err… _working_.

And yes, Luna is the best Ravenclaw to ever read a book. I'm glad you like the way I wrote her. I wasn't very sure. Stick around; she'll be in the story a lot starting in chapter three or four.

Yes, I did write a lot of potential love. Who's going to end up with who? The only one I'll is almost set in stone is Draco and Hermione. Meant to be.

And whiny Snape is always fun as well!

And a big Rock On right back to you!

-

**Review, puh-leeze!**

Love

Catherine

-

January 5th, 2005


	3. Missing, Meetings, Tempers and Dates

**Disclaimer**: Right… I really don't own Harry or Luna or Draco or Hermione yadda, yadda, yadda.

I do on the other hand own Port Ryan, The Café, a yacht and various OC's. If they're not mentioned in the books, they belong to moi!

**Author's Note**: Ever see General Hospital? No? Oh well. Basically it's a soap opera. Some storylines are based on the storylines from General Hospital.

No Sonny though, because he's an ass.

I did try this once before, but it was really horrible. I revised, complicated and really just made it better.

Spoilers up to and including The Order of the Phoenix

**Rating**: PG-14 for language, violence, kidnapping, and sexual themes.

-----

Pansy groggily opened her blue eyes and looked at the seven-year-old red haired child bouncing on her bed. His giggles were bouncing off the white walls. Pansy was not use to white. _Hurts my eyes,_ Pansy thought to herself as she was bounced around on the fluffy bed. The entire room was coated in pure white. The comforter was crisp, the walls were gleaming and the tables were glass. _Miss my room_.

"Come on, Miss Parkinson!" The boy she met last night, Daniel, insisted as he sat in the middle of the bed. Ron told Pansy that Daniel was the son of his now-diseased brother Charlie. Daniel was left in the custody of Hermione and Ron. "Uncle Ron made breakfast. We're gonna eat together."

_What is this? The freaking Dream Family?_ Pansy asked herself as she looked at the small boy. "I'll be down in a minute." She promised with a fake smile as she ruffled his hair. The boy was nothing like Vega when she was that age. Though both children were stricken with the death of their parents, they acted outstandingly different.

Vega had always been rather tough for her age. Draco had sent her to the best boarding schools the world had to offer, even if it meant sending her away for months at a time. Draco was good at living where ever Vega's school was, but it wasn't enough. The girl had never had boundaries, which was now biting the both of them in the ass.

Daniel on the other hand had boundaries set up by his adoptive parents. He wasn't nearly as tough as Vega, always calling for Weasley. He had been taken care of by of people who loved him his entire life.

All the people Vega had were Draco, herself and countless flunkies, servants, house elves and nannies. Most of whom she disobeyed and easily got away with it.

Pansy guessed when living with Hermione Granger- you didn't disobey.

She made her way down the stairs to the once gleaming kitchen to see it in a chaotic state. The black counter tops were coated in flour and pancake batter. Eggshells were scattered in various places and a small, orange tabby cat was licking spilt milk off the counter.

Pansy crinkled her nose and walked to the centre of the kitchen. "Merlin, Weasley, what in the world were you trying to do?" Pansy asked as she sat on a stool and picked up the cat.

Ron looked sheepishly around the kitchen and shrugged. "Cooking." He said as he turned off the oven.

Pansy looked behind her at the two children eating burnt pancakes. "I am not eating that." She insisted as she stood up and put the cat on the floor.

"I'll take you to the Café as soon as Shannon comes." He looked at the puzzled expression on Pansy's face. "She's the nanny," he clarified. "I took some time off work. My brother Bill will run the business while I find Hermione."

Pansy raised an eyebrow; she never would have guessed Hermione Granger would be one to hire a nanny. "I'll go get ready then." She said as she made her way up the stairs. "Good luck finding your wife!" She called over her shoulder.

-----

Draco walked threw the door when a crystal water glass smashed right next to his head. "Hey now," Draco said as he set a breakfast tray on a table. "Don't bite the hand that feeds you."

"How about the one that kidnaps me?" She asked him as she stood up. She eyed the door over Draco's shoulder. She carefully put one foot in front of the other.

Draco rolled his eyes and kicked the open door shut with his foot. "Honestly, if you're going to try and make a run for it at least look out the window," Draco said as he crossed his arms over his chest.

Hermione glared at him and made her way over to the small window. She pushed aside the heavy drapes and stepped back in shock. As far as she could see there was only blue. Waves crashed against the side of the yacht. "We're on a boat." She stated.

"What's that expression Vega uses? Duh!" Draco said sounding much younger than he actually was. "I live on a boat. I've lived on a boat for many years. I am happy on a boat."

"Who's Vega?" Hermione asked the blond. "Your daughter? Wife?"

"None of your damn business Granger." Draco snapped. "You wouldn't care even if I did tell you." Draco said as he sat in a nearby chair. He was slumped down, crinkling his inky blue suit. His arms were crossed over his chest and he looked up at her.

"You're right," Hermione said nodding. "I don't care. If I meet her though then I want to know who she is."

Draco looked down at his lap. "She's my baby cousin," Draco said as he looked up at her. "Longbottom killed her mum when she was two. Her father was murdered not long after."

"Bellatrix and Rodolphus Lestrange," Hermione said as her eyes widened. "Those are her parents. Were her parents."

"Yes," Draco said acidly. "And your little crew of merry men killed them. Vega has no parents. I am her only family." Draco stood up and glared down at Hermione.

"They were evil," Hermione responded softly and sympathetically. "They killed people. They made Neville's parents insane."

"But she doesn't deserve to have no parents, Granger. She doesn't deserve to have to be raised by a person like me, in the line of work I do. I can't protect her!" Draco exclaimed.

"Then why do you keep her?" Hermione asked him just as loudly. "Why don't you give her to someone who can protect her and can let her be normal."

"Because I love her." Draco admitted. "She can't keep being passed back and forth. I can't let her go away, live with my mother. Or worse, Nymphadora." Draco winced at the thought of his clumsy cousin.

"I have two sons." Draco's eyes shot up to meet hers. "They're not mine biologically. One is the son of Ron's brother who died two years ago. The other is Ron's son."

Draco raised an eyebrow before glancing at his watch. "I have a meeting to get to. And don't worry about your family," Draco coaxed. "Pansy will take good care of them." Draco promised as he left the room.

Hermione's eyes widened in horror. The last person she wanted to be in the same city as her family was Parkinson, let alone the same house. Surely Ron wasn't stupid enough to believe whatever con Pansy came up with.

------

Pansy paced her dark sunglasses on her head as she walked into the Café after Ron, who was currently being attacked by both Loony Lovegood and his little sister.

"I am so sorry Ron!" Ginny sobbed as she wiped some stray tears off her cheeks. "I had no idea that Hermione of all people would be kidnapped."

"It is quite logical though," Luna remarked. "She does have a lot of power within the Wizarding World. I suppose there are also people who are still upset over her involvement in the Second War."

Pansy raised her eyebrow at Luna's bluntness. If she wasn't so insane, they might have been friends. "Uh… can I get a little service?" Pansy asked as she picked up a menu and skimmed it over. "So many carbs," she said under her breath.

Ron smiled weakly at Ginny before sitting across from Pansy. "I'll just have my usual." Ron requested.

"I'll have a double mocha cappuccino. Light on the foam with just a small sprinkle of cinnamon on the top. If there's too much I _will_ send it back. I'll also have a plain bagel, lightly toasted and with butter on the side." Pansy said with a fake smile as she put the menu back. "Thanks."

Ginny glared at the ex-Slytherin before jotting it down on the pad of paper and walking behind the counter.

"I suppose they don't give service with a smile here," Pansy remarked dryly. She looked up at Ron, whose head was ducked. "God, you're not going to cry are you?" She asked as she crinkled her nose.

Ron shook his head as he looked up at her. "No, I'm not going to cry. You know, for someone who was thrown over the docks, you're don't seem very traumatized." Ron pointed out.

Pansy shrugged carelessly." I just get over things fast," she lied awkwardly. "It's not like I've never been swimming before." Pansy smirked at Ginny as she accepted her coffee. "Not quite like in Italy." Pansy recalled as Ginny sneered at her. Pansy took a long sip and looked over the rim of her coffee to see Blaise walk in. "Blaise?" Pansy said as she stood up.

Blaise looked over at his old friend. "Pansy Parkinson?" He asked as she walked forward to hug him. Blaise held Pansy by her forearms and looked her over. "You look wonderful, love!" Blaise exclaimed as he kissed his old friend softly on the cheek.

"You too, Blaisey." Pansy gushed as she kissed him back. "I haven't seen you in years. How have you been? What have you been up to?" Pansy asked him as she stepped back.

"I own my own business," Blaise said proudly. "Millionaire now." Blaise was never one to boast, Pansy remembered. Obviously that had changed.

Pansy smiled at her good friend. "Why didn't I marry you when I had the chance?" Blaise had a crush on Pansy all through Hogwarts. She had always denied his advances because she just wanted to be friends.

"Hey, speaking of millionaires, have you seen Draco Malfoy recently?" Blaise asked, raising an eyebrow. "I heard he was making a fortune in South America.

Pansy's eyes widened and she faltered; she was horrible at lying to Blaise. She always respected him too much to lie. "No," she lied as her voice cracked slightly_. I've only been living with him for the past fourteen years,_ she thought to herself. "I haven't seen him in… years." _A day,_ she corrected herself.

Blaise raised an eyebrow before spotting Ginny. "Have to keep working," he whispered to Pansy before he winked at her and walked over to Ginny.

Pansy sat back across from a scowling Ron. "What the hell are you scowling at?" Pansy asked him. "I haven't done a damn thing yet, Ron. So you can stop it."

"Blaise and I… Blaise and I have a history." Ron said shortly as he stirred his coffee. "I don't want to talk about it." He said looking directly at a spot above her head as he clanged his spoon against the side of the mug.

"Too bad for you, because I want you to tell me." Pansy insisted as she took a bite of her bagel. "Common'," she said with her mouth full. "I could get his side and hate you forever. Which would make this whole arrangement _very_ awkward." She said in her most convincing tone.

Ron sighed. "Blaise and I were both in love with Lavender Brown at the same time. We competed to win her over and she juggled both of us around until we didn't know love from anything else. She was married to Blaise, she had my child then she left. Now he has set his attentions on my baby sister. And whatever Blaise wants, he gets."

"And you think that because you never got over Lavender, that he didn't either?" Pansy asked. "Babe, Blaise falls in and out of love. He loved me once, but I loved Draco and turned him down. A choice I now regret, when I think about it. He loved Lavender. He may very well love your sister."

"How can you tell?" Ron asked her as he narrowed his eyes at her. The last thing he wanted to think of was his little sister involved with Blaise Zabini.

"Years of friendship and observation." She shrugged carelessly as she took another bite of her bagel. She chewed thoughtfully before turning her attentions back to Ron. I doubt he even knows yet." Pansy took a drink from her coffee and made a face. "Gah," she said in disgust as she set her mug down and pushed it away from her, towards Ron. "Listen, Blaise is a good man. He'll take care of your sister. Let's go," she requested as she stood up and walked out the door.

Ron threw a galleon on the table and walked after Pansy.

-----

Ernie Macmillan leaned back in the chair at his office. He glanced at the clock on his wall and sighed. Lisa Turpin walked into his office head held high, almost to an obnoxious level. He put his hands behind his head. "Nice of you to join me. Oh, and you're late."

"Court ran long," Lisa said as she smoothed down her skirt and sat in a chair. "Of course, you know how it is, right Mr. D.A.?" She asked.

"So did you get you're criminal friends off?" Ernie asked bitterly. He had been trying for years to get conclusive information in relating to the crime circuit in Port Ryan. As of yet he had been unsuccessful.

"Like always," Lisa said holding her head higher. "No conclusive evidence in possible relation to the case that hadn't been obtained illegally."

"Did you read the paper this morning?" Ernie asked Lisa indicating to the paper in front of him. She shook her head no and reached for the paper on his desk. Ernie snatched it before she could touch it. "Wait, I want to read it to you.

Minister of Magic Hermione Granger was kidnapped last night at approximately 7:14 pm on the docks of Port Ryan.

_The loving wife to Quidditch-business man Ron Weasley and best friend to Harry Potter was snatched unexpectedly while talking to old school friend Pansy Parkinson. Pansy Parkinson was promptly thrown in the river while trying to save the Minister._

_Hermione Granger, who has been working in the Ministry for three years this August and has been Minister for nine and a half months. She has two young stepchildren._

_At the present time, no one was available to comment. Minister of The Charms Arts, Orla Quirke, will be filling in for Minister of Magic until the Minister is found."_

Ernie folded the paper and put it on his desk. "Oh I'm sorry. Did you want to see the picture?"

Lisa shook her head. "Why do you want to tell me this?" Lisa asked. "This is in no way directed at me. I barely know Hermione and I am mild acquaintances with Ron at the most."

"No?" Ernie asked as he raised an eyebrow. "Does that mean that you're clients did not do that? Because it seems _right_ up their alley."

Lisa glared at the Defense Attorney and stood up. "I will not have you accusing my clients of crimes they did not commit." She sneered as she spun on her heel and left the office.

Ernie sighed and followed her out of the door. "I've had experience with you're clients. I know their style. They are low grade mobsters." Ernie said as he caught up to her.

"There is no proof of that." Lisa said before she turned to face Ernie. "I dare you to find proof that my clients did this. Legally obtained, of course. Then I may, I repeat may, have them to admit to that." Lisa turned and walked out of the Police Station.

Ernie rested his head in his head before standing up. He started to pace throwing the occasional glance at the news-parchment that lay atop his desk.

"Who could have done this?" He asked himself. Ernie was no detective, but he could see a mob job, as he liked to call it, a mile away. Living in Port Ryan did that for a person.

-----

Luna stood at Harry's door, rocking back and forth on her heels. She watched as a disheveled man with black hair stuck his head out the door. He looked down at her with brilliant green eyes and a rare smile graced his face.

"Luna!" He said happily as he opened the door wider and she slipped under his arm. He turned around and kicked the door, which he hoped looked cooler than he felt. "What a surprise!"

Luna turned and beamed at him with her dreamy smile. "I came to check up on you." She said solemnly as she waved the large paper bag in front of his face. "And bring you some food. Seamus was telling me about you. He is rather worried." She said as she placed the paper bag on the coffee table and she sat on the couch.

Harry took three long strides and flopped down beside her. "I'm fine Luna." He said as he smiled softly. "But I am glad you came to visit me. Are you going to eat with me?" He asked hopefully.

Luna looked at him sympathetically and shook her head, causing her long, blonde hair to hit his arm. "I'm sorry, Harry. I have a date tonight." She said as she stood up.

Harry felt anger bubble inside of him. "You have a date?" He asked her as he stared at a spot above her shoulder. "With… with who?" He asked coolly.

"A man I met at The Café." She told him as she walked over to the door. "I'll see you soon, Harry." She promised him as she smiled down at him and walked out the door, closing it softly behind her.

Harry groaned as he hid his head in his hands. "Why?"

-----

I'm so sorry! I couldn't think of any questions!

I also know this took many days. Terribly sorry. Exams are on the way so I've been a little, you know, busy.

I've also been working madly on a story I want to release after this one is done. A Severus Romance. Promise to read it? Of course, it'll be a while before I post it….

Fred and George: I also think the same way. Hint, hint.

_slyswn28_: Genius? Blushes Well, I don't know if you can say that.

All right you totally say that.

My favourite is also Carly! Especially with Lorenzo. Mmm… Lorenzo.

Pen: Happy to oblige! Bows

**Catherine**

**Please don't forget to review!!**

**Now.**

**Er… seriously… I mean now.**

…

…**I have all day…**

…**Flips open a book…**

…


	4. Exchanging Sad Stories and Accusations

**Disclaimer**: Right… I really don't own Harry or Luna or Draco or Hermione yadda, yadda, yadda.

I do on the other hand own Port Ryan, The Café, a yacht and various OC's. If they're not mentioned in the books, they belong to M-E!

**Author's Note**: Ever see General Hospital? No? Oh well. Basically it's a soap opera (yes a soap opera. What?). Some storylines are based on the storylines from General Hospital.

Spoilers up to and including The Order of the Phoenix

**Rating**: PG-14 for language, violence, kidnapping, and sexual themes.

Draco tapped his fingers against the metal bar that he was leaning against on the deck of the yacht, as he stared at the coast of France. He sighed and turned to walk to his "guests" room.

Draco knocked lightly against the door. He heard frantic shuffling and a muffled scream. He opened the door, surprised to find it unlocked, to see Hermione standing in the middle of the room, attempting to get one of Pansy's black, _of course_, cashmere sweaters over her head. He chuckled as he walked over to her. "Need help?" He asked.

He watched as the sweater clad head bobbed up and down and he took it to mean yes. He looked around the sweater to find the neck of the sweater. "Stop moving," he commanded and she froze. Once the sweater was over her head Hermione breathed a sigh of relief.

"This," she breathed as she tugged at the sleeves. "Is the most stupid shirt I have ever worn! How on earth does Parkinson do it?" She asked him as she turned to the mirror.

"In truth, Pansy had some trouble with it a few times," Draco recalled as he thought back to when Pansy dragged him to go shopping. "I told her it was unnecessary."

"Why are you here Malfoy?" Hermione asked him as she turned to face him.

"I came to tell you I'm going to pick Vega up from the train station." Draco informed her as he sat on the edge of her bed. "I'll be back no later than five as I have no desire to stand around making small talk with parents. Would you like to meet her?"

"Are you actually asking me?" Hermione asked suspiciously.

"Not really, it's a boat not a country. You'll see her eventually." Draco responded as he stretched his arms over his head. "I merely want you to be polite and civil to me around her. Perhaps dinner?"

"Here?" Hermione asked. "Your cousin comes home and you make her dinner here? Classy." Hermione commented sarcastically.

"I don't make her dinner. Cook will make her dinner. And to be frank, this isn't really a request; I just don't want Vega to call me a hypocrite. I'll see you later." Draco said as he pulled out his wand and apperated away.

Hermione flopped down on her bed- the bed and sighed loudly and quite un-lady like. The last thing she wanted to do was to spend quality time with Bellatrix's daughter.

Not just that but she was beginning to get very bored. "I shouldn't have tried to escape. Maybe he would have let me walk around." She said to herself.

You could only wonder about your family for so long.

-

Vega Lestrange shook her pop can back and forth in quick succession as she sat cross-legged on a bench. She glanced at her black watch once more and sighed.

"Hey Vogue," her cousin Draco said, using the nickname he loved, as he sat on the opposite side of the bench. He looked quite sheepish sitting in his dark blue suit. Quite the contrast from the other parents that were standing around in their sweat suits.

"I'm surprised you even came this time Dray. None of your surprisingly big 'friends' to pick me up this time?" She asked sarcastically as she stood up and threw her pop can out. "Where's Pansy?" She said as she glanced around, looking for her blonde friend.

"Pansy's away on… business." Draco said shortly as he stood up and waved his wand at the trunk and it lifted in the air. "We'll talk about that later. Don't you have any friends to say goodbye to?" He asked, as if he really hated being there.

Vega shifted slightly. In reality she didn't have any real friends. Being the daughter of two Death Eaters and living on a boat of mobsters didn't do much for one's reputation. "They already left."

Draco glanced down at his watch. "I'm sorry Vega. I didn't know I was this late." He began to walk, the trunk floating above ground several feet in front of him. "I was… working."

"You're always working." Vega muttered under her breath. "Where are we going this time?" She asked him half-heartedly. They never seemed to go to the same area. Draco had to constantly be moving to make sure he and his 'business' weren't found out.

"The boat. The big one." Draco said with more than a hint of pride. Draco always loved to boast about what he had rather than mourn over what he didn't.

"Whatever," Vega muttered under her breath as she followed him, arms crossed over her chest. She really didn't want to come off like the spoiled brat everyone thought she was. But if she did, it wasn't like it would matter. It wasn't like she had friends.

Draco grabbed a portkey out of his pocked and thrust it towards her. Vega sighed a hesitantly put a finger on it. She hated portkey's. Very Nauseating.

-

Pansy made her way inside The Café just as she had done for the past four days. She shuddered to think that she was beginning to settle into a routine.

She walked through the door only to be cut off by Ginny. "What are you doing?" She demanded.

"Er, about to order a coffee?" Pansy said as she side stepped Ginny and walked up to Luna.

"I mean with my brother. Tell what you're planning." Ginny said as she crossed her arms.

"Nothing!" Pansy exclaimed as she threw her arms above her head. "God, why does everyone think _I'm_ up to something? I mean, I haven't _done_ anything to you people since Hogwarts!" Pansy huffed as she put a gallon on the table and took her coffee from Luna.

"Look me in the eye and tell me that you haven't done anything to Ron." Ginny requested as she walked closer to Pansy.

Pansy sighed and turned to face Ginny. She bent down slightly and looked her in the eye. "I have not done anything unethical to you're brother. I have not hurt, sexed and slash or disemboweled him. I think I can be constituted as trustworthy." Pansy rolled her eyes and picked her coffee off the table. "Now if I am excused with my coffee, to go, I have to pick up your nephew from prep school." Pansy said as she brushed past Ginny and bumped into a red haired boy. She sighed and walked out the door.

Alexander Weasley, or Zander as he preferred, watched as the blonde haired woman left the Café. "What was that all about?" He asked his aunt who promptly pulled him into a hug. She dug her head into his shoulder and breathed deeply. Ever since the disappearance of Hermione, she had started to spend more time with her family.

"When did you get back?" Ginny asked the sixteen year old. Zander was the son of Ginny's brother Bill and an ex-girlfriend of his. Though never married, they remained friends and raised their son together. Something her parents hated. They fought them and remained friends until she died ten years ago.

"Few minutes ago. Dad took my trunk back to the house so I could visit my favourite aunt!" He said as he stepped back from the embrace. He waved to Luna as he sat at an empty table.

"You're avoiding going home, aren't you?" Ginny asked sympathetically as she sat across from him.

"You know me too well Aunty Gin." Zander smiled weakly as he brushed his red hair off his forehead. "Well, I can't avoid them forever. I was thinking of dropping in on Uncle Ron before I went home. I, err, heard about Hermione." He said awkwardly.

Ginny nodded and patted his hand. "I wouldn't do that if I were you, Zan. He's living with a _Slytherin_ who is a bitch. Stay away." Zander rolled his eyes as his aunt said Slytherin.

Ever since the end of the war, nobody really cared what house the person was in. If the trial of Peter Pettigrew in 1997 taught them anything it was house didn't matter. "Sure thing. If you don't mind, I think I'll go see Sage and Sirius. I think Harry was picking them up." He said as he walked out the door.

Ginny sighed and went back to wiping off the table. "Well, if I don't just hate this site!" She heard Blaise say from behind her. She turned around and he took the cloth from her hand. "You are much too smart to be doing this." He scolded.

Ginny sighed and took her cloth back from Blaise. "I know, Blaise," she said heavily. "Especially when you tell me _every, single day_." She turned around and walked to the counter at the head of the room. She slipped behind it and got an empty coffee cup. "I don't know what you want me to do about it. I have great hours." She said as she poured coffee into the cup and slid it over to Blaise.

Blaise took the cup gratefully. "I can give you great hours," he said in his most convincing tone. "I can give you any number of jobs. With any number of hours." He said as he sat on a stool.

Ginny closed her eyes and rubbed her temples. "Blaise, the only reason you want to give me a job is because you want to get back at my brother for snogging Lavender." She said harshly as she walked over to a table that held a teenage brunette.

Blaise got up, abandoning his coffee mug and followed her over to the girl. "Ginny," he said slowly, grasping on what to say. "I really hate you're brother."

Ginny nodded with a look of satisfaction on her face as she took the girls order and turned back around to the counter.

"But," Blaise continued. "That doesn't mean I don't like you. It doesn't mean we can't be friends." He said hopefully. "You're being wasted here, Ginny. Please, just set up an interview?" He pleaded before taking a stickle out of his pocket and placing it on the table. He leaned over the counter and kissed her cheek before turning on his heel and walking out the door.

Ginny touched the spot where he kissed her cheek and watched him walk out the door. She sighed, her resolve slipping considerably. After all, how much harm could one interview do?

-

Hermione looked lazily around the new room on the yacht. She had to admit; who ever decorated it had stylish taste. The living room, where Crabbe had left her, was decorated chicly with soft walls painted off white and bold, maroon coloured chairs and couches. There was modern art hanging off the walls and a glass coffee table was placed in the middle.

She sighed and leaned her head against the back of the couch and closed her eyes lightly.

"You know I hate Portkeys!" She heard a female exclaim from a different room. "Couldn't we have drove?"

"Drove?" Asked a voice that she knew to be Draco's. "One that's a muggle thing. Two, we're on a freaking boat!" Draco retorted as he walked into the room Hermione was sitting in. "Hello Granger." He nodded as he loosened his tie and sat on a chair opposite her.

"Who's this?" The teenage girl, who Hermione supposed was named Vega, asked. "Is she your girlfriend? Where's Pansy?" She demanded as she glared at Draco.

Hermione looked the girl over. She seemed to be a bit shorter than Hermione herself. She had dark brown- almost black hair that hung just past her shoulders. She had bight silver eyes, the same colour as Draco, Harry's godfather Sirius and Narcissa Malfoy.

"Pansy's where you're going to be," Draco said softly as he picked a piece of non-existent lint off his dress pants. "No arguments." Draco demanded as he looked at Hermione. "How was your day?"

"Boring as hell." Hermione remarked. "I threw a shoe at one of your men."

"Good, good," Draco said absentmindedly as he watched his cousin. "Vega?"

"Who is she?" Vega demanded. "Why is she here? Are you sleeping with her? What about Aida?"

"No, Vega, I am not sleeping with her. She is not my girlfriend, either so you needn't worry. We are not together in any way, shape or form." Draco said softly as he rubbed his forehead.

"He kidnapped me." Hermione interrupted. "Oh, an I'm married." She added as an after thought.

Vega looked sharply at Draco before turning on her heel and walking out of the room.

"Who's Aida?" Hermione asked Draco as she crossed her legs. "You never said you had a girlfriend."

"I don't," Draco said sharply as he stood up. "Aida is long gone. She's been gone for years. Vega just doesn't take death well."

"How did she die?" Hermione asked him softly as she leaned forward.

"Why do you want to know?" He asked loudly as he threw his arms up into the air. He really didn't want to tell her of his past. The last thing he wanted was her pity.

"I'm curious." She said as she rested her chin on the palm of her hand. "You tell me this and I'll tell you a story." She promised. "I'll tell you anything. You're choice."

Draco sighed and scrubbed his hand over his face. "I met Aida Trepan in New York City when I was twenty years old. I was studying Criminal Law, my Uncle wanted me to be corporate but either worked if he was in trouble."

"Uncle?" Hermione asked surprised. "You have an Uncle?"

"Yes, I do." Draco said in a tone telling her to drop it. "Aida told me if I couldn't find anything better to do than to make rich people even richer I was better off doing something else."

"So she was an idealist?" Hermione asked.

"Yes, she believed in helping people. Anyway, she was in the school library, studying poverty. She wanted to save the world, one piece at a time." Draco paused and looked off. "I was so in love with her I would have done anything. So I agreed to go with her on one of her missions. To help her."

"Wow," Hermione said softly. "Draco Malfoy, former spoiled brat turned savior of the people."

Draco let out a small laugh. "Don't spread that around, it'll ruin my reputation." Draco sighed and continued. "We were on our way to a village in North England. It was a torn village, in the middle of warfare, remaining Death Eaters. My Uncle contacted me and asked for my help. 'Just this once, he's the only family I have left,' I had told her. I promised to meet her. So she went with a group of Human's Rights Workers and her friends.

"I got them out of trouble and it didn't take long, it wasn't a difficult job. When I was on my way to meet her, I saw on the news that Death Eaters had, had burned the village and killed everyone including children… and of course the human rights workers." Draco rubbed the side of his face and turned around. "That's enough."

Hermione sat shell-shocked for a moment before standing up. "That's- that's horrible Draco." She said soothingly. "But you know if you would have gone, you would be dead too." She said as she looked up at him, to see him facing away from her. She reached over and put her small hand on his shoulder.

"Maybe," Draco said slowly as he took her hand in his, still not turning around. "Maybe not, but at least she would be with me." Draco turned back around to face Hermione. He dropped her hand after a pause. "Anyway it was a long time ago. I moved on. Why are you with Weasley?" He asked Hermione, eyes pleading with her to change the subject. "Married to him, I mean. I never really thought that would happen."

Hermione raised an eyebrow and sat in the chair Draco had once sat in. "I was working fairly low down in the ministry, I was an intern. This was just after the time I quit working at this restaurant in Port Ryan. Lavender had just left and I had just broken up with my boyfriend. We were both in a bad place and we did something… stupid.

"I ended up pregnant with his child so we moved in together. I had a miscarriage, but we had already fallen in love." She closed her eyes, trying to sooth the pain that was welled inside her. "We got married and it went great until Lavender came back last year. Both Ron and Blaise became obsessed with her and we broke up for a while." Hermione paused and looked off. "I love my husband, and I know he loves me. Sometimes I just wonder if given the chance if he would go back to Lavender."

Draco nodded slightly. "I'm sorry for you're loss." He said softly as he sat on the coffee table in front of her. The two exchanged sympathetic looks and Draco reached his hand out. It hesitated above hers before dropping to rest on top of hers.

"As am I for yours." She responded with a half smile. "I'm sorry that you lost her," she said as her voice cracked slightly and she looked down at their hands. She turned her hand around and grasped his. She drew her eyes back up to him, as there was a knock at the door.

Goyle walked into the room and Draco pulled his hand back as if he touched fire. "Boss? We need you in the back." He said glancing at Hermione with an amused look. Most thought Goyle was stupid, but he knew he was more observant than they gave him credit for. And his 'inner eye' was telling him there was more to his boss and the hostage than joint enemy-ship.

"I trust you can make it back to your room?" He asked as he took a step back to the door and left the room.

Hermione sighed and followed him out of the door, but by the time she got there he was gone.

-

(Yes! Another chapter down! Many, many more to go!

**Vega seems like a brat.**

Er, why yes, yes she does. She is a bit of a brat because Draco spoils her and she has no rules. You'd be a brat too!

**Are Draco and Hermione moving closer together?**

Well, currently they can tolerate each other to a degree. She feels bad for him and finds him intriguing. He sees her as someone to talk to while Pansy's gone.

**So Draco wasn't always a mobster…?**

No, but he always sort of had mob intentions.

**Where was Pansy during this span of events?**

I don't give spoilers.

**Thanks to all the reviewers! Please leave some questions you have!**

**Catherine!**

**Please review! I mean it.**


	5. Leaving, Dates and Mobster Relations

**Disclaimer**: Right… I really don't own Harry or Luna or Draco or Hermione yadda, yadda, yadda. They all belong to JKR an not me, blah, blah, blah. I do own a few things, anyway/

**Author's Note**: Ever see General Hospital? No? Oh well. Basically it's a soap opera (yes a soap opera. What?). Some storylines are based on the storylines from General Hospital.

Spoilers up to and including The Order of the Phoenix

**Rating**: PG-14 for language, violence, kidnapping, and sexual themes.

Draco dropped two, large black suitcases on the hard wood floors that made up the hall way leading out of the yacht. He turned around and rolled his eyes. He looked at Hermione who was standing at the end of the hall. "Where's Vega?"

Hermione pointed back in the direction he came from. "She stayed behind. Draco, she doesn't want to go." Hermione tried to reason. "Why must she?"

Draco crossed his arms over his chest and shook his head. "She'll be safer in Port Ryan." He reasoned. "And I can't allow her to be here while you're here. She'll get attached."

"She doesn't even like me," Hermione said shaking her head. "How on earth will she get attached?"

"Don't ask me," Draco shrugged as he walked closer to Hermione. "She has slight abandonment issues. It's just best if she goes to Port Ryan." Draco repeated as he walked down the hall and stopped in front of Vega's room.

She was standing in the doorway, glaring at any person who worked for Draco, who was trying to get her to leave.

"Draco, I am not going to Port Ryan!" Vega yelled at the top of her lungs once more. She was standing in the middle of the doorway to her room. Her feet were firmly planted and her hands were gripping the edges of the door until her knuckles turned white.

"This is _not_ up for discussion, Vega Lyra Lestrange." Draco said in a dangerously low voice. Vega winced slightly as Draco used her full name. "I told you, Pansy will come for you during the day. I will find someone to baby sit you when I get there."

Hermione who was now leaning against the wall watching the exchange in amusement stood up. "Wait, you're going too?" She asked. It had been two days since she and Draco had exchanged heart-breaking stories and she regrettably admitted she had gotten use to him.

"For a short period of time," Draco assured her. "I don't want to see, or hear, of any grand getaways, understood?" He said, as he looked her right in the eye. She crossed her arms and looked away. "Right, let's go Vega." He said as he walked out of the hall out to the deck. Hermione did nothing but watch as Vega walked behind her Uncle.

"Draco!" Hermione yelled and he stopped walking. She attempted to run to him but was stopped as a guard caught her around the waist.

Draco smiled slightly and walked to meet her. "Yes, Hermione?" He asked, a little too politely.

Hermione ducked her head and looked at the guard's arm that was still around her waist. "Will you see how my children are? Will… will you tell me how they look?" She asked as she looked up at him.

Draco nodded, with slight pity in his silver eyes before turning and following Vega off the boat.

Hermione pulled away and glared at a guard as he shut the door and locked it with his wand. She sniffed and stuck her nose in the air. "I hope you realize who I am." She said snootily.

The man who never spoke to her raised an eyebrow and smirked lightly. That was all he ever seemed to do, not speak and smirk. He was like a quieter version of Draco.

Hermione threw her arms down and turned on her heel and stalked towards the kitchen. She passed Draco's study and paused. She glanced over her shoulders to see nobody coming. She tested the doorknob and let out a small, excited squeal to see the room was open.

She stepped into the office and shut the door silently behind her. She looked at the room, which was decorated in deep, rich tones with a dark wood desk set near one wall with papers littering it.

She walked over to the leather chair behind the desk and sat down. She glanced at a picture that was in a silver frame. Draco was waving happily at the camera. He was obviously ten years younger, but he looked fifteen years younger. A six-year-old Vega was peering shyly from behind her cousin's legs and occasionally flashing a toothless grin at the camera. Hermione's eye traveled to the woman on Draco's right, who was obviously Aida. Hermione's eyebrow rose slightly.

She looked nothing like the girls Draco dated in Hogwarts. She had dark brown hair that was extremely straight. She was rather plain looking, unlike the beautiful women Draco had dated. Her kind green eyes glanced up at Draco lovingly every so often. Hermione felt a harsh twinge of pity for Draco.

She set the picture back in its place and looked down at the parchment that littered the desk. Hermione never would have called Draco messy, but as she looked over the papers on the desk….

Hermione picked one of the letters on top and skimmed over the name. "Pansy?" She asked herself quietly. She glanced up at the date to see it was sent four days ago. She heard a creaking floorboard and stuffed the letter and a few different papers in her pocket.

Hermione dashed across the room and hid behind the door as it opened. One of Draco's maids walked in the room as she cheerfully hummed a tune. Hermione let out a silent breath and dashed out of the door and ran all the way to her bedroom.

-

Harry's head hit his wooden desk with a resounding thump. His roommate Seamus Finnegan shook his head and turned the volume up on his radio.

"Honestly, mate," Seamus said as he took a swig from his Potion's Draft beer bottle and turned from his seat on the couch to look at Harry. "You've been going over every criminal in Wizarding history to find Hermione. I mean, I miss her too, but man you need a break." He said as he shook his head and went back to his Quidditch game. "Go to The Café or something. Just stay quiet."

Harry glared at the back of Seamus's head and stood up. "Fine. I'll be back in an hour." He said huffily as he stood up and grabbed his coat. "Don't break anything!" He called over his shoulder as he walked out the door. Just as he shut the door behind him, he heard the sound of glass shattering. He winced and continued walking.

From the short walk from Harry's apartment to The Café, Harry concluded he hadn't been outside enough since Hermione's disappearance, as he squinted from the sun. He had barley set foot outside in the past week.

Harry stepped in through the door and gave Luna a short wave. She gave him a bright smile and waved back at him enthusiastically before finishing wiping off the counter and putting the cloth away.

Harry gazed at her, which caused him to miss the chair he was about to sit in. Harry shot up and looked around before successfully sitting in the empty chair and Luna sat across from him. The Café was empty, save one man eating a muffin, which meant no one was going to snap his picture. Luna placed her hand lightly on top of Harry's and looked him in the eye.

"How are you Harry?" She asked sympathetically. From most people, Harry couldn't stand that voice but it always comforted him when Luna used it. "I'm sure it's hard," Luna continued. "She has been gone for a long time."

Harry nodded slowly, not taking his eyes off her hand on top of his. "It is hard. Hermione, Ron and I haven't been out of the same town in years. It's… weird without her here."

Luna nodded, understanding. "I am quite sure she's fine, Harry." She said softly. "She's always fine." She added. Luna paused and drew her hand away from Harry's.

A comfortable silence resounded over the two for a moment before Harry looked back up at her. "So are you going to the Hospital Gala in a couple of weeks?" Harry asked casually before pretending to examine his nails.

"I was thinking about it," Luna said casually as she rested her head on her hand. "But I think I would much rather just take another shift or do some more research on the Frampkin. I don't know."

Harry looked up at her. "Wouldn't your date be upset if you decide not to show?" He asked her carefully as he crossed his fingers under the table. _Please say no, please say no _he pleaded inwardly.

"I don't have a date." Luna said shaking her head. "I was just going to go alone." She said shrugging carelessly. Luna didn't often have a date, but it never really bothered her. She was use to being alone.

Harry shrugged. "I don't have a date either." Harry mentioned. "Maybe you and I could go as friends?" He asked in a voice he hoped sounded cooler than he felt. _Please say yes, please say yes, _he pleaded internally again.

"I'd really like that Harry." Luna smiled dreamily at him. She stood up and looked down at him. "You're a really good friend, Harry." She said, beaming at him before turning towards the kitchen.

Harry's head fell to the table for the second time that day. "Why me?" He muttered under his breath before getting up slowly and leaving the café.

On his way out the door he saw a profile he hoped to never see again. The man had sharp features and shockingly platinum blond hair, and there was only one person he knew who looked like that. "Malfoy?" He asked the blond man who was talking to a dark haired teenager.

Draco's head swiveled to face Harry. "Oh God no…" he muttered under his breath. "Somebody kill me now. Please." He said as he rubbed his temples.

"What are you doing here, Malfoy?" Harry demanded spitting out his sentence like when Parvati cooks for Seamus.

Draco raised an eyebrow and smirked lightly. "I'm working on my internship. I've been told I 'got what it takes'." He said sarcastically, using air quotes, which caused the girl behind him to snort in amusement.

Harry glanced at the girl and furrowed his eyebrows. "Have we met before?" He asked the young girl.

"No," she said as she knocked her hair over her shoulder. "I'm going inside." She said glaring at Harry before pushing past him and walking into the Café.

Harry glared at the blond man. "Who is she? Is she you're daughter?"

"No Potter, she is not my daughter. I just met her." He lied smoothly as he slipped his hands into the pockets of his black suit. "Now, if you excuse me, I have a _very_ important meeting to get to. More important than talking to you in all honesty." He nodded his head at Harry and turned on his heel.

Vega watched from the window on the door as her cousin walked in the opposite direction. She rolled her eyes and sat at a table. She buried her face in her hands and groaned.

Zander looked up from the coffee he was preparing at the young brunette. He cocked his head to the side and began to walk over to her.

Sage Snape rushed through the door and over to Zander, effectively blocking his way. "You get off now, right?" She asked him hurriedly, her black hair messed up.

Zander smiled down at his friend and raised an eyebrow. "Yeah…" he said slowly, looking at his watch. He watched as she was practically convulsing with excitement. "Why?"

"I want you to go shopping with me!" She exclaimed happily. "You and Sirius. Dad said I could go to the ball and I need a boys opinion ondress robes!" She said gleefully as she dragged him out of the Café.

Zander groaned playfully as she dragged him out the door. Zander liked Sage very much. He knew, on the other hand that his best friend Sirius had been in love with her for years. She dragged him out to the docks and stopped suddenly which caused him to bump into her as she stopped. Zander raised an eyebrow and looked over her shoulder. "What is it?" He whispered.

She put a finger to her mouth and sank against a brick wall to hear. She leaned against the brick wall. "It's Terrance Higgs." She said quickly as she strained her ears.

"The mobster?" Zander asked as he crouched down beside her. "I heard he could kill a man with just a stare." He said dramatically, holding a hand in front of him.

Sage swung around and slapped his shoulder. "Don't be an idiot, Zander." She scolded as she leaned forward. "No one can kill another person with a stare." Zander raised a red eyebrow as she turned back around. She had most definitely inherited her father's logic.

"Higgs," the blond man said almost too cheerfully as he held his hands behind his back. He sent an entirely too bright smile in Terrance Higg's direction.

Terrance glared at the man. "Malfoy," he spat. "I heard you were in the business." He remarked off-handedly. "Very good work over in Russia, or so I'm told."

"Thank you. It was quite the challenge, but in the end I got what I wanted. I always get what I want." The man responded leaning forward. "Now, onto business Terrance. You have Pier 23. The thing is that _I_ want it. So I sat and I thought about it and I made a decision. You're going to give it to me. That's what I want." The man, Malfoy said smoothly.

"You always were arrogant to the point of stupidity, Draco. Arrogant as well as a spoiled brat. " Terrance said shaking his head. "I'm not gonna give you the pier." He said dangerously, pointing a finger in Draco Malfoy's face.

Draco smiled brightly once more. "Well, we'll talk more later. Once you think about how much… _damage_ I can do." He said as he turned and walked up the steps. He paused in the middle and turned around. "Have your people Floo my people. If they know how to anyway." He added before continuing up the stairs.

Zander turned to Savannah with gleaming eyes. "He is so cool, Sage!" He exclaimed excitedly. "Did you see the way he just brushed off everything that guy said?"

"Well, I _am_ glad you approve." Draco said from behind him. "In the future, I'd appreciate it if you didn't listen to my private conversations." Draco said coolly as he looked down at the redhead.

Sage smiled shakily up at the blond man. "Zander didn't mean anything by it, Mr. Malfoy." She said nervously as she rose to her feet.

"Don't lie to him, Snape." Zander glared at her. "She's the one who listened to your conversation first." He told Draco as he stood up and dusted the dirt of his knees.

Draco tilted his head to one side. "Snape? Sage Snape by any chance?" He asked. At her light nod, he gave her a slight smirk. "Tell your father I said hello." He said before sweeping away.

Zander watched the man leave, jaw open. "He is so cool!" He repeated as Sage looked at him in worry.

-

Pansy examined her nails as she filed them at the dining room table. She held them out in front of her and added a coat of deep red nail varnish to the nail.

Ron walked in through the kitchen door and put his briefcase on the counter. He sat across from her at the table. "Pansy, I need you to do me a favor." He started.

"I already to the police all remember about when Hermione disappeared." Pansy said, not taking her eyes off her nails. "I can't help you anymore than that."

"I need you to take a job with Blaise." Ron asked her, looking down at the table.

Pansy's head shot up. "Why would I do something like that?" She asked him surprised. "Blaise and I never worked well together."

"I need you to take a job so you can watch over Ginny." He told her as he looked back up. "Blaise is trying harder and harder to get Ginny to join him and I know she'll accept soon enough. He has a crush on her."

"And he use to have a crush on me." Pansy pointed out. "Ginny's a big girl now, Ron. You have to let her make her own mistakes. I've made them, you've made them too."

Ron's eyes started to shine and a large smile spread over his face. "I have thw best idea you have ever heard!" He exclaimed excitedly. "You get Blaise to fall in love with you!"

Pansy's eyebrows shot to meet her hairline. _Oh God. If only Draco could have heard that. _"I'm not going to make Blaise fall in love with me, Ron." _The last thing I need is to make two men fall in love with me. "_But if it makes you feel better, I will take a job with Blaise." She shrugged.

Ron leaned over the table and kissed her cheek. "You are the best, Pansy. Remind me why we hated each other in Hogwarts?" He said as he leaned back slightly, but he was still close enough for her to feel his minty smelling breath to tickle her cheeks.

She swallowed and looked down. "Draco hated you and I loved Draco." She said slowly. "You loved Hermione and I hated her. I was also the class bitch."

"Right." Ron said as he stood up. "I have to go do some work. You'll contact Blaise tomorrow?" He asked her as he backed up towards the door.

"No problem, Ron!" She said in an enthusiastic voice. He left the room and her head hit the table loudly. "Merlin," she moaned loudly. "Why me?"

Now, not only did she have to manage to get Ron to fall in love with her, she also had to get and keep a job. All this while watching over Ron's baby sister. "Damn you Draco," she muttered under her breath as she laced her fingers in her short, blonde hair. "Oh, and over lunch I have to check on Vega. Brilliant."

-

Ha! Another chapter done! I don't know when I'll get another chapter up, I've been having computer troubles.

Onto the questions!

**Terrence Higgs is a mobster! How did that come into play? **

_It fit. Terrence would make a great mobster._

**Is he Lisa's client?**

_You're a sharp one. I bet you get the best marks in school. Yes, he is her client._

**Does Luna have the same fellings for Harry that he has for her?**

_I don't know. She likes to keep her feelings about 'da boys to herself._

**When do the older characters come in? I want Severus with his daughter!**

_Hmm... they'll most likely have a part during the Gala. I too, want a little fater/daughter interaction. _

THE REVIEWS FOR CHAPTER THREE

slyswn28: Thank you! Pansy is the best character for me to write! A lot of me is embodied into her. The sarcasm and such. Pansy is my second favourite female character after Hermione. And I'm glad Lisa reminds you of Alexis as that's who I model her after! And I too heart Jealous!Harry.

Parcheezie: It's great that you love it! Now onto number one, eventually you realize that Hermione will have to fall for Draco. This is a Draco/Hermione story. Now, as to who falls in love with who first, you're going to have to wait. Although I am wondering if you got into my story plans :)

Me: Well, this is more of an ensemble piece as it is suppose to be like a soap opera.

datfunykrngrl: Updated!

random gal: Glad you like it!

THE REVIEWS FOR CHAPTER FOUR!

FredandGeorgeWeasleyareMYKings: Neville, Neville... well, I could never really find a story that I could fit him into. He may come back later. He was the first Ernie, but wasn't nearly snarky enough to fully take on the roll.

random gal: Voila! New chapter!

slyswn28: And a big rock on right on back. Yes, being a brat is one of the many reasons Pansy and Vega get along. And Pansy is just misunderstood. Everyone acts differently when they're teenagers.

FiReFaIrY14: Frankly, I'm glad your obsessed.

Parcheezie: No worries, I got it!

**Thank you to the reviewers!**

**Now if you have any questions, please submit them! I love answering questions!**

**Time to go review, loyal readers and newbies!**

**Catherine!**

**Review.**

**REVIEW!**


	6. Crying and Understanding

**Disclaimer**: Right… I really don't own Harry or Luna or Draco or Hermione yadda, yadda, yadda. They all belong to JKR an not me, blah, blah, blah. I do own a few things, anyway/

**Author's Note**: Ever see General Hospital? No? Oh well. Basically it's a soap opera (yes a soap opera. What?). Some storylines are based on the storylines from General Hospital.

Spoilers up to and including The Order of the Phoenix

**Rating**: PG-14 for language, violence, kidnapping, and sexual themes.

-

-

-

"Hermione?" Draco called as he walked into the empty room. He looked around the rather clean area with furrowed eyebrows as he sat on a chair and put his feet on the table.

He turned and looked over his shoulder as he heard the door click. He gaped as a rather wet looking Hermione stared at him in shock with huge brown eyes. Draco looked at her hair, which was now straight due to the pressure of the water, although he could see it starting to curl once more near the end where it was drying first. All of her hair was gathered to one side, covering that side of her face like a sheet.

"Draco," she said slowly as she pulled the hem down on her, well Pansy's, rather shortnightgown. "What are you doing here?" She asked him as she patted down her wet hair. She shifted her sock, Draco's socks, clad feet slightly as she crossed her arms over her chest.

"I came to tell you that I'm back." Draco said quickly as he stumbled out of his seat. He hooked his fingers through the loops on his black jeans and looked her over. "Obviously, I have really bad timing."

"Obviously," Hermione retorted, still attempting to cover herself as much as possible. She stared at him for a second, waiting. "Well?" She prompted.

Draco tore his wider-than- usual eyes off her and looked down at the floor. "I- er, I was going to tell you how your children are." He said, admiring the wooden floors.

Hermione brightened as she swept the hair to rest behind her back. She ran over to her bed and got under the blankets. "You can look at me now," she said amused.

Draco drew his eyes up and grinned at the huge smile that was gracing Hermione's face. It made her seem at least five years younger and nothing like how he remembered her from Hogwarts.

"Tell me about Daniel and Matthew!" She pleaded as she bounced slightly on her bed. The blankets fell to her lap as she jiggled around in excitement. She crossed her legs and patted the spot in front of her, an invitation for him to sit.

He sat across from her, mirroring her stance. "Those are really their names?" He asked skeptically. "They sound so…" He trailed off as if searching for the correct word.

"Common?" Hermione offered. "I didn't name them Draco, if you can't remember. Besides, haven't you ever wanted a common name?" She asked him.

"No, not really." Draco shrugged slightly. "Anyway, I only saw them from a distance when I was dropping Vega off at some tea shop. I ran into Potter." He added for her benefit.

"You saw Harry?" Hermione asked, her voice cracking slightly. Tears began to cloud her vision and spill down her cheeks. "Please Draco." She pleaded slightly as she grabbed his hand. "I want to go home."

Draco shook his head and pulled back from her. "Oh no, Granger." He said as he jumped off the bed. "I thought we were past _this_. I thought you understood, I will send you back when my agenda is done." He told her once more.

Hermione gazed up at him and shook her head before burying her head in her hands. She held her palms over her eyes, in an attempt to sooth the tears. She gazed up at the ceiling. "Why am I _here_?" She asked him once more. She had asked him in the past and he had merely brushed her off.

Draco sighed and looked at the brunette. Her hair was beginning to dry, making it seem more dangerously frizzy than ever. Her brown eyes were glassy and her cheeks were bright red. "You're here because I ran out of ideas." He told her softly as he wiped some tears off her cheeks.

Hermione's head shot back to look at him, causing her to pull away. "What?" She asked him, with wide eyes. "What do you mean? Why would you have ideas in the first place?" She asked him.

Draco scrubbed the side of his face with his palm. "You and your little friends killed my family. You killed Pansy's family. You killed Vega's family." He said shaking his head. "I- Pansy and I, we decided to- er, get our –ah, our revenge." He said tripping over his words.

"But why me?" She asked him in a pleading tone as she grabbed the blankets. "Why would you kidnap me? How am _I _supposed to help you?" She asked.

"Enough!" Draco commanded, holding one hand in front of him. "I'm not going to tell you anymore." He told her. "I already told you enough. I told you why you're here." He turned around and walked towards the door. He turned and looked over his shoulder, hand hovering over the doorknob. "Goodnight, Granger." He said before turning the doorknob and walking out the door, closing it tightly behind him.

Hermione turned the lights off beside her and made her way deep under the covers. She tuned on her side and tucked her legs up to her chest. "Goodnight Draco." She replied softly as tears began to spill down her cheeks once more.

Draco leaned his head against the door and sighed softly. He looked up at Goyle who was looking at him with a raised eyebrow. "What is it, Gregory?" He asked the taller man exasperatedly.

"I know that look, Draco." Gregory said slowly as he placed his hands in his pockets. "You can tell me what's going on. We've been friends for a long time."

Draco crossed his arms, "If you know me so well, Gregory, why don't you tell me what's going on." He said stubbornly.

"You're falling in love with her, Draco. I've sent the way you act around her. You're falling in love with her and you don't know how to stop it. It's killing you."

Draco pressed the palms of his hands against his eyes. "She's married, Gregory. I can't love her."

"But you do, Draco. You have to tell her." Gregory said soothingly. "She may not feel the same way, but you can get it off your chest."

Draco looked up at Gregory and walked past him.

-

Pansy walked in Blaise's grand office building and glanced around. It was tastefully decorated with light pine wood floors and glass tables. Pansy walked up to the main desk and watched as the secretary chatted with someone in the Floo powder.

"And so I said to Jeremy," she chatted as she held her hand in front of her and filed her nails. "You had better get your stuff _and_ your slut outta this apartment before you have more than just a metal rod up your ass!" She paused and scrunched up her nose. "I was talking about my high heel, Merlin, Suzy. Get your mind outta the gutter."

Pansy rolled her eyes and cleared her throat as loudly as she could. The secretary turned around in her chair and smiled pleasantly, but a little too fake. "May I help you?" She asked with a hint of annoyance behind her words.

"I'm here to speak to Blaise Zabini. I'm an old friend from Hogwarts and he wasn't at his apartment, and I knew he would be here." Pansy responded as pleasantly as she could muster.

The secretary pointed a well manicured down a long hall. "Mr. Zabini is the last office on your left." She said annoyed before turning back out her conversation.

Pansy rolled her eyes and walked down the hall. When she reached the door she rested her hand on the doorknob. "I'm never going to get a job here." She said to herself softly. "I'm a freaking mobster. What's on my resume? How to kill a guy who owes you money?" She said sarcastically. She turned the doorknob and saw Blaise sitting at a desk in the middle of the room, reading over a contract.

Blaise looked up as he heard someone walk into the room. He smiled as he saw Pansy walk into the room. "Pansy!" He said surprised. "It's so nice to see you!" He said as he stood up and walked over to hug her.

"You too, Blaise," she said as she hugged him back. She stepped back and smiled at him. "Working over time? Hope you get time and a half." She joked.

"Ah, afraid not. Not when I pay myself anyway." Blaise said with a hint of mock disappointment. "What brings you to my office, Pans?" He asked as he walked back to his desk. He sat in his chair and motioned for Pansy to sit in front of him.

Pansy walked across the room and sat in the chair across from Blaise. She folded her hands in her lap and twisted them painfully. She stared down at the powder blue, _powder blue_, skirt Ron had made her wear. "Blaise, I need to ask you a favor." She started before glancing up at him.

Blaise smiled reassuringly at her and nodded. "Anything Pansy, you know that. At least for an old friend." He said smirking as he looked at her across the table.

"I need a job." She said quickly as she stood up. "So, I'll see you on Monday?" She asked him before turning on her heel and attempting to make her way to the door.

"Pansy!" Blaise said as he stood up and ran to stand in front of her. "You want a job?" He asked in disbelief. "Why do you want a job? I've never seen you work."

"I work!" She said as she crossed her arms over her chest and glared at him. "Besides, I don't want this job. Ron wants me to take a job here." She said in as true of a tone as Pansy could have.

"Weasley? Why would Weasley want you to work for me?" Blaise asked. "I mean, Lavender's gone. Why does he want me watched?" He asked her.

Pansy shifted uncomfortably. "Ginny," she said softly. "He wants me to make sure you don't over step your bounds." She explained as she dropped her arms to rest at her sides.

"Over step my bounds?" Blaise asked incredulously. Blaise sighed and ran a hand over his eyes. "I do need a personal assistant." He said after a moment, looking down at her.

"I'll take it." Pansy said as she beamed. "You have no idea how happy this is going to make Ron!" She said excitedly.

Blaise's look of detachment became on of worry. "Watch out, Pansy." He warned. "Ron is married. He is too attached to people. Hermione and… Lavender."

"I know that Blaise," she said through gritted teeth. "I feel nothing for him but friendship and that's at the most. He's a goody, goody, remember?" She said looking at her shoes.

"I think you feel more for him," Blaise said harshly. "You can't do this Pansy. You can't do this again." Blaise said, thinking of Draco. "You have to promise me you won't do anything."

"Fine, I promise." She said before walking around him and out the door.

Blaise sighed as he rubbed his eyes. He knew Pansy better than most did. And thru knowing her for as long as he had, he had learned one most common thing about Pansy.

Pansy lied.

-

Ron gently walked through the door of his family's new house. The old house that his family had lived in since Bill was born was destroyed in a Death Eater attack years ago.

He looked at the steps to see his nephew, Alexander sitting on the steps. His head was leaning carelessly against the banister and was flipping through a magazine.

"Hello, Alexander," Ron said as he walked over to the staircase. "It's good to see you again."

Zander looked up from his magazine and glared at his Uncle. "It's Zander, Uncle Ron. I tell you that over and over. And it's good to see you… out and about."

"Out and about?" Ron said questionably. "What do you mean by out and about? I've been out." He said defensively. "Harry's the one who doesn't step outside."

Zander shrugged his shoulders and looked down at his magazine. "I'm just repeating what Grandma said and she said you haven't been out 'cause you haven't been around." Zander stated as he stood up and walked up the stairs.

Ron grimaced and looked at the closed door. He shook his head and turned on his heel, heading out the door he had just walked through.

-

Harry walked down the strange hallway, glancing around as he went. It was a nice hallway, if Harry was one to judge. In truth he was on his way to Luna's apartment.

He paused outside her doorway and patted down his hair as much as he could. Unfortunately, he could tell it was standing up.

_It's not like it matters, _he told himself. _She's seen you first thing in the morning. _That was a memory Harry would like to erase from his mind.

_Although, Luna was also in her nightwear, _he thought on the other hand. _Why can't I be smooth and have a velvet jacket and a pipe! _He thought in fury at his lack of cool bed wear as he knocked at the door.

Luna appeared at the door in record time. For only the third time since he had met her, she looked taken aback. _It's no wonder_, Harry thought to himself. _You've never been here. She always goes to your house. _

"Harry," Luna said in a voice Harry hoped sounded full of tension and love for him. Regrettably he could tell it was only happiness. "Come in," she said, stepping aside to let him in.

Harry looked around the apartment. It was clean and vibrantly coloured. There were books everywhere, mostly books of animals he had never heard of and Hermione thought, _thinks, she thinks, _he corrected himself, don't exist.

"What can I do for you, Harry?" Luna asked, dreaminess back in her voice. She motioned to the couch she moved to sit in front of. On the floor.

Harry sat awkwardly on the edge of the couch. His leg started to bounce out of nervousness. He rested his elbow on it as casually as he could and smiled at Luna with a smile he hoped said, "Take me now!"

"Are you alright, Harry?" Luna asked him as she placed a hand on his knee, making his knee bounce. "You seem shaken up about something. Is it work?"

"Er, no. It's not work." He said in attempts to be casual. "I just… wanted to see you." Harry said as he smiled lightly at her. "Unless you had plans with that guy."

"What guy?" Luna asked with a raised eyebrow.

"The guy you had a date with last week." Harry prompted her, pleased that he had been forgotten about.

"Oh, him." She said with a slight tone of not caring. "I have no plans with him. I'm all yours Harry."

Harry drifted off into thoughts of other places that could be said. "Great… want to stay in?"

-

Ron walked through the door to his house and smiled as he saw Pansy leaned back on the couch with her bare feet perched on the coffee table in front of her. He flopped down next to her and gave her a huge grin. "So?"

Pansy smiled back at him. "I suppose you're looking at your latest working girl!" Pansy said with a flourish before crinkling her nose. "Not that kind of working girl."

Ron let out a low chuckle before patting her on the head. "No worries. But didn't I tell you it would be easy?"

Pansy rolled her eyes. "Ron, you don't understand what kind of relationship Blaise and I had. He was in love with me for years." She reminded him.

"You told me. And you loved Malfoy, which broke his wittle heart." Ron said mockingly, grinning at Blaise Zabini's pain.

"Nobodies relationships are perfect, Ron. Except for, I suppose, you and Granger." Pansy shrugged as she inspected her manicured hand. "The perfect marriage and all."

Ron shook his head slowly. "We barely have a marriage. We never see each other. I work long hours and she works longer hours. We fight more often than not and we never know what to say to each other when we don't fight."

Pansy inspected Ron's profile. He was a handsome man, nothing like she remembered him to be. He was still lanky and had a rather large nose, but it worked for him.

She felt a twinge of pity for the man who she was suppose to be manipulating. She was so close to having the man wrapped around her little finger.

He was already spilling secrets to her. Although oddly, she hadn't told Draco of any of these. Sure, in the beginning she did but over the past few days she hadn't seen the point.

In fact, and she would take this to her grave, she felt bad every time she thought of telling Draco of Ron's secrets.

Pansy never felt bad for doing anything to people she didn't like. Did she like him?

She really hoped Blaise was wrong.

-

**What's ya mean common? **I'm sorry, have you ever seen a child named Draco? Exactly.

**Why is Harry so pervy? **He's not pervy! He just has a crush. If it makes you feel better, the pajama's consisted of pants, a tank and fuzzy slippers.

I have no other questions in my head. If you have any, ask away!

**slyswn28**: Aww! It's really better than a soap? blushes. Pansy will take the mission as far as she can. She isn't completely heartless. Vega is... well, she's had a tough life. No parents, living with mobsters, no friends. The kid's got it rough.

**Donniedarkobunnylover**: Thank you!

**Flavagurl** Tis been updated! Muhaha!

**xOxOkIsSmYaSsXoXo**: Right here!

**random gal** It's okay, be addicted! There's plenty more to come!

**LatentBeauty** I'm glad you like the story line in all it's complexity. Is that a word?

**FredandGeorgeWeasleyareMYKings**: Aren't they just? I love them! Poor Pansy. Sometimes I feel bad for her... others...

**As always, please review!**

**Catherine**

**Review**


	7. Affairs

**Disclaimer**: Right… I really don't own Harry or Luna or Draco or Hermione yadda, yadda, yadda. They all belong to JKR an not me, blah, blah, blah. I do own a few things, anyway/

**Author's Note**: Ever see General Hospital? No? Oh well. Basically it's a soap opera (yes a soap opera. What?). Some storylines are based on the storylines from General Hospital.

Spoilers up to and including The Order of the Phoenix

**Rating**: PG-14 for language, violence, kidnapping, and sexual themes.

Pansy glared at the back of the secretary's head. Once again the woman was on Floo Powder. She cleared her throat as loudly as she could, causing some German wizards to look at her in astonishment.

The secretary turned in her chair and put on a fake smile. "Can I help you?" She asked her as she beamed at Pansy.

Pansy fought to keep her breakfast down as she looked at the blonde woman. "I work here now." Pansy said, quite happy to see the fake woman's face fall for a second.

The blonde woman recovered quickly however, much to Pansy's disappointment. "He's in his office!" She chirped pleasantly, causing Pansy to outward wince.

"Right," she responded slowly as she patted down her black skirt. Pansy rushed away from the perky woman and down the hall to Blaise's office. Letting herself right in, she walked to the middle of the room, much to Blaise's amusement.

"Well, Pansy, I see you made it on time." Blaise smirked as he stood to meet her in the middle of the room.

"Indeed," Pansy said as she crossed her arms over her chest. "What do you want, Blaise?" She asked him as she walked around him and sat on a chair in front of his desk.

Blaise raised an eyebrow and sat in his chair at the other side of the desk. "Have you ever had a job, Pans?" He asked her as he opened a folder on his desk.

Pansy's look faltered as she thought of an answer. "Yes," she said slowly. That wasn't a complete lie; she was a mobster after all.

"Are you sure?" Blaise asked her in amusement, keeping his eyes on the folder. "Because I have your record here. You've been arrested a lot." He remarked lightly.

Pansy's eyes widened as she looked at the top of Blaise's head. "I… I… was." She said, inwardly beating herself for her lack of a good answer.

"Hmm…" Blaise raised he head and looked at the girl he had known since he was seven. "Pansy, if you're working for Draco you can tell me. I know he's a gangster."

Pansy looked at her lap. "We prefer to be called mobsters." She said quietly before looking back at him. "You can't tell anyone, Blaise. No one can know _ever_."

"No worries, Pans." Blaise reached across the table and grasped her hand. "I'm not going to tell anyone. Hell, whom would I tell? Ginny?" A small smile began to grace Blaise's face. "Pansy, I need you to do something for me…."

"I cannot, cannot believe the nerve of Zabini!" Pansy said angrily to herself as she made her way to The Café. She looked through the window into the building. She watched as a blonde and a red-haired girl walked with trays.

She sighed and backed away from the window. "Alright, just… just do what he asks and everyone's happy."

"Except you," a voice said from behind her. Her eyes widened as she spun around and came face to face with Harry Potter. "Not that I care, mind. Why are you stalking Ginny?"

"I am not!" She said childishly as she placed her hands low on her hips. "I _don't_ stalk," _much_, she added mentally. "Why are you stalking me?"

"Not. I was merely going to see Luna." Harry told the shorter girl.

"Hmm," Pansy said slowly. "What is it with you and Ravenclaws, Potter? I thought you more of a purest. All Gryffindors all the time, hmm? How long have you been standing out here?"

"Not… too long." Harry said as he stared at his feet.

"Well, it looks like you have joined the stalker club. We meet on Tuesdays at eight." Pansy said sarcastically.

"Tuesdays, I'm busy." Harry responded as he crossed his arms over his chest and looked down at her.

"With stalking?" Pansy asked him as she sighed. "You know, you think that you could use your whole fame thing to get laid."

"You think you're untouchable, don't you?" Harry asked ashe shook his head.

"Oh, no, on the contrary. I love being touched. Yeah, not usually by cops, as a rule. Or what ever you are. I have to go. Good luck with your thing." She told him before turning around and walking into the café. She stopped walking as Ginny stopped in front of her.

"What do you want, Parkinson?" Ginny asked as she put an empty tray under her arm.

"I come on behalf of Blaise." Pansy started, wincing at the formality. "He wants me to… bestow upon you an invitation."

"Why in the hell are you talking like that?" Ginny asked the blonde as she raised an eyebrow.

"He's making me. Do you want to go to The Gala or not?" Pansy asked exasperatedly.

"Fine." Ginny said as she held her nose in the air. "I'll go with Blaise, if he buys me a dress." Ginny raised an eyebrow at Pansy and the corner of her mouth began to tilt upwards.

Pansy bit back a remark about money and smiled tightly. "He said he would. I have been instructed to take you today after your work. Is that a good time?"

"Fine," Ginny said as she turned back to a table and began to wipe it down.

Pansy nodded and turned back to the door. She gave Harry a thumbs up as she passed him outside. And laughed at the panicked on his face as she made her way to Ron's office building.

Hermione knocked lightly at Draco's office door. She put her ear to the door and she heard shuffling and heavy footsteps and she felt the twist of the doorknob under her hand. She stepped back and watched as Draco lifted his eyebrow.

"Can I help you?" He asked in amusement as he leaned against the doorframe. "I mean I am in the middle of some very important work."

"Yeah, but all your work is illegal." Hermione said as she walked past Draco into his office. She sat on a chair that sat on the side of the desk closest to the door.

Draco pushed himself up and kicked the door closed. "Not that I'm not happy to see you." Draco said as he crossed the room and sat opposite from her. "But I am curious, however, as to why you're here."

Hermione shrugged her shoulders. "I was getting very, very bored and I was wondering if you had anymore books?" She asked him.

"You read everything worth reading on this boat. You even read a few of Pansy's romance novels." Draco commented as he shook his head. "I'm not going to write a book just so you could read it."

Hermione rolled her eyes and crossed her arms over her chest. "I'm not asking you to, just go get me some!" Hermione pleaded.

"Fine," Draco sighed and looked back down at some paper work. His eyes drifted up as he realized Hermione was still staring at him. "Is there something else?" He asked her.

"No," Hermione responded as she leaned back in the chair and continued to watch him.

Draco threw down his quill and looked back at her. "Well, I have something else to tell you. I'll be going away again. My men have orders to give you what you ask."

"Except to go home?" Hermione asked with a quirked eyebrow.

Draco let out a chuckle. "Yes, except for that."

Hermione shook her head and looked at her lap. "Then I hope you don't expect a thank you, Malfoy." Hermione said as she looked back up at him.

Draco shook his head. "I don't. At least not now."

"Not ever."

Draco stood up and walked around the table. "I don't know what you what from me, Hermione."

Hermione stood to meet him. "I want to go home, Draco! I have to go home!"

"We've been over this before, Hermione! I can't just send you back!" Draco yelled.

"I promised I wouldn't press charges! Just send me back!" Hermione pleaded as she clasped his hands in her own.

Draco looked down at their clasped hands. "I can't." Draco said softly. "I don't care if you press charges or not, Hermione." Draco looked down at her and furrowed his eyebrows. "Just, just drop it." He said as he attempted to pull his hands out of her grasp.

Hermione held on harder and looked up at the taller wizard. "Draco…" she said softly as she leaned closer to him. "I miss my children. More than anything."

"More than Weasley?" Draco asked, not able to keep it to himself.

"Yes," she said without missing a beat. "I miss them more than Ron or anything else in the world. What if Vega was taken away from you?" Hermione asked him.

"I'd miss her more than anything." Draco said as he drifted off in thought.

"In truth, Draco, if I didn't have any children I don't think I would mind being here." She said with a shrug causing Draco to look at her oddly. "I mean, I'm not saying your sickly sweet or anything else that would tarnish your Slytherin persona. You're different."

"No I'm not," Draco said shaking his head. "You know what I do for a living."

"Because you got pulled into it. You wanted to be a lawyer. You wanted to uphold the law." Hermione reassured him as she began to move her thumb against his hand. "You're not like you were in Hogwarts."

Draco shook his head again. "Hermione, you didn't even know me in Hogwarts. How did you know what I was like?"

"I knew you as much as you knew me. It doesn't matter, Draco. No matter who we were then, we are different people now. We're all grown up and our lives have been hard."

A silence rang out between the two adults who were still standing in close proximity of one another. Hermione opened her mouth slowly, about to say something when Draco's mouth suddenly crashed to her own.

She stumbled back in shock before lacing her fingers in his gelled back silver-blond hair to regain her balance. She stood on her bare tiptoes in order to meet his lips better.

Draco honestly hadn't meant to kiss her. At least, that's what he thought as he backed her up to a nearby couch and shed his suit jacket.

_Stop it, _Hermione commanded herself_. Your married, _a voice that sounded exactly like Mrs. Weasley rang through her head.

_Not really, _the dreamy voice she had dubbed Luna said slightly louder. _You're only married legally. It's not a real marriage. It's nothing like you want. You don't want you husband, you want your kidnapper. _

_That's sick, "_Mrs. Weasley" said disapprovingly. _You've been married for years. _Hermione considered this as she loosened Draco's tie and began to unbutton his shirt.

_But it's true. There's a difference between being married and a marriage_. Hermione considered this as Draco slipped her shirt over her head and pushed her back on the couch.

She pulled her head back slightly and gasped for breath. She looked up at him. "What are we doing?" Hermione asked him as she attempted to sink into the cushions to put space between them.

Draco, still gasping for breath looked down at her desperately. "Does it matter?" He asked her before swooping his head down to kiss her again.

As he came up for breath again, he watched as Hermione shook her head no and brought his head down for another kiss.

"Just pick one!" Pansy said exasperatedly from her position on the chair. Pansy had picked her own dress robes rather quickly and was now waiting for Ginny to pick hers.

"Well, Parkinson, I don't want to end up in the same position you were in with the Yule Ball!" Ginny yelled back at her.

"At least I had new dress robes!" Pansy yelled back angrily. "And besides, Blaise said I looked smashing!" She taunted as she crossed her arms over her chest.

"I heard Blaise was colour blind!" Ginny laughed to herself as she pictured the fourteen-year-old Pansy. At least then she wore colour, Ginny thought to herself as she used her wand to do up her dress robes.

She turned to face the mirror and smiled lovingly at her reflection. The dress robes were low cut enough to make Blaise nervous and her family scream, yet not that slutty. She smiled to herself as she pictured a panting Blaise and her fainting family. The robes were a beautiful lavender colour that didn't offset her bright hair.

She slipped out of the robes and motioned her wand to put the robes back on the hanger, as she got dressed.

Pansy stood with her arms crossed over her chest with a garment bag hanging off her arms. Pansy looked up from her shoes as Ginny came out. She raised an eyebrow expectantly.

Ginny held out the robes for inspection. "What do you think?" Ginny asked the former Slytherin.

"Oh!" Pansy gasped as she looked at the dress robe that Ginny was holding. "It is such a gorgeous colour!" Pansy gushed as she set her bag on a chair and stepped closer to the robe.

"Isn't it?" Ginny said happily as she looked down at the robe. Ginny enjoyed shopping with Pansy, not that they were friends. She always found it hard to shop with Hermione, who was always complaining about how expensive everything was. And shopping with Luna was an adventure. She use to go shopping with Lavender….

"You are so going to knock Blaise dead. And your brother is going to flip. I commend you on your taste." Pansy said with an evil glint in her eye.

Ginny smirked back at the blonde as they both gathered their things and made their way to the check out. "What colour are you robes?" Ginny asked her.

Pansy raised an eyebrow. "Actually? Red." Pansy said shortly as she handed both robes to the checkout person.

"Really? I thought they would be black." Ginny said with a hint of surprise.

"Most would. Don't tell anyone, I want to keep it a secret." Pansy said as she handed over a sack of gallons and gathered both bags. "So want to spend all of Blaise's hard earned cash?"

"Hell yes," Ginny said as the two women walked out onto the street filled with stores.

Zander sighed as he watched a brunette girl walk into the café. It was almost empty and Luna had gone out with Harry. He walked over to the table and looked down at the girl. "Hello, my name is Zander. Can I take your order?"

Vega looked up at the boy with a bemused expression. "Hello, my name is Vega and I'll have a diet Butterbeer. I want it, like yesterday." She requested as she put her purse on the table.

Zander raised an eyebrow and nodded before walking behind the counter. He turned around when a large crash echoed through the café. He watched as Sirius Lupin, his best friend ran up to the counter.

"What's up, Sirius?" He asked the dark haired boy with a raised eyebrow. "You seem messed up."

"I am so messed up, Zan, you wouldn't believe it!" He said exasperatedly, his amber eyes filled with desperation.

"What's wrong?" Zander asked.

"I don't have a date to the gala!" Sirius said loudly, causing Vega to look at them funny.

Zander held a finger to his lips. "I don't know what you want me to about that. It's not like I have a date either."

"But you're going with Sage, man. Everyone knows it." Sirius said as he threw his hands into the air. "Good luck with her dad by the way." He warned with a hint of animosity in his eyes,

Zander felt slightly guilty. He knew that Sirius had a crush on Sage for many years. "Think of it this way. If I go with her, no one else will." Zander supplied helpfully.

"Which means I can't either." Sirius sighed as he looked up at the ceiling. "Everything bad happens to me! My parents are weird. I'm a klutz. No women find me attractive!"

Vega winced and felt sorry for the boy. She crossed the room and put a hand on the boys shoulder. "If you need a date, I'm still free. My name's Vega." She said, inwardly beating herself for being nice to a stranger. She was going soft.

Sirius looked down at her with huge amber eyes. "Really? You'd do that?" He asked her hesitantly, as if she would take it back.

"Sure, I'm in the same boat you are." She told him with a shrug as she put her hand down at her side. Now I can spend all Draco's money, she thought to herself evilly.

Sirius looked smugly at Zander who was looking at him with a raised eyebrow.

Zander grinned evilly. "Now, Sirius, do you want to tell Sage or should I?" Zander asked the other boy with a hand on his chin. "I mean, who knows how she's going to take it."

Vega looked at Zander with her nose turned up. "I think maybe Sirius needs some real friends." Vega said as she crossed her arms.

"What? Like you? The girl he just met?" Zander asked her as he placed her diet Butterbeer on the table. "The one who threw herself at him?"

"Don't be jealous that you don't have any throwing themselves at you." Vega said as she slid two stickles over the table. "Least of all me." Vega turned to Sirius and wrote down her address. "You can Floo me later and we'll exchange plans." She said kindly before glaring at Zander and walking out the door.

Sirius watched as she left. "I guess I have a hot date and your going with your best friend." He said smugly as he took a sip of the abandoned Butterbeer before grimacing and placed it back down.

"The friend you're in love with." Zander said in defense of his best friend.

Sirius looked at Zander for a moment before shaking his head and walking out the door behind Vega.

"Shit," Zander said under shi breath as he watched his oldest friend and his best walk away. "You, Zander Weasley, are an ass."

Grr… how I wanted Sage to come in and say he was. Resist!

I am so sorry about the surprem lack of updates. I've been having some computer issues the past week and a bit.

**Are Pansy and Ginny going to become friends now?**

No! They just go on one shopping trip and they might be friendly to each other for now. I don't think it'll last very long.

**So, er, did Draco and Hermione go all the way?**

Yes, yes they did. And Draco's rather smug about it.

**So Greg…?**

Knows all. Sees all. He's very perceptive.

**And Blaise?**

Slightly perceptive.

FredandGeorgeWeasleyareMYKings: Thank you! I love Harry and Luna also, they are too cute! I enjoy Pansy and Ron also.

Parcheezie: Alrighty!

sever-case-of-insanity: I'm glad you are!

Flavagurl:Thank you! I lovelove triangles and such.

slyswn28: I hatehow they're making her! I love Faith,Cynthia Preston is such a good actress. Anyway, I'm happy to better than a soap! Don't youjust love Blaise?

Berekka: Thank you! I thought it would be illogical to make them fall in love instantly.

Catherine!

Again, I am really sorry!

Review!


	8. Mornings After and Fake Dates

**Disclaimer**: Right… I really don't own Harry or Luna or Draco or Hermione yadda, yadda, yadda. They all belong to JKR an not me, blah, blah, blah. I do own a few things, anyway. 

**Author's Note**: Ever see General Hospital? No? Oh well. Basically it's a soap opera (yes a soap opera. What?). Some storylines are based on the storylines from General Hospital.

Spoilers up to and including The Order of the Phoenix

**Rating**: PG-14 for language, violence, kidnapping, and sexual themes. **Perhaps PG-15 for the upcoming chapter, actually.**

**-**

-

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**Chapter Eight: Mornings After and Fake Dates**

Hermione woke with a start. Somehow, and Hermione really didn't want to think how, she and Draco had ended up on the floor of his office. She turned her head cautiously to see Draco, with his arm still draped on her waist, was still asleep.

She gave a sigh of relief and clutched at the flimsy greenblanket that was once on the couch. Hermione really didn't want to think of the couch. Or the floor for that matter.

_I need to get out of here, _Hermione thought to herself as she began to untangle their legs. She carefully reached under the blanket and removed Draco's arm from her waist.

"What are you doing?" Draco asked, still half asleep. He peeked at her through half closed gray eyes.

Hermione sighed and gave up. She flopped her head on the, thankfully carpeted, floor. "When did we get over here?" She asked him weakly.

Draco, still peering at her through half open eyes looked around. "Er, I really have no clue. Probably not too long after the first time." Draco said with a self-satisfied smirk.

Hermione moved into a sitting position and placed her head in her hands. "I have to leave. Right now." She said as she stood up, clutching the blanket to her chest. She wrapped it around her like a robe and looked down at the naked Draco, keeping her eyes adverted from below the belt line.

Draco rolled his eyes and grabbed for his pants. Hermione adverted her eyes as Draco put his clothes back on. "Why do you have to leave?" He asked her angrily. Draco hated being used; he's the one who does the using.

"I can't deal with this. I've never done this before!" Hermione yelled back at him. She pulled the blanket up higher and glared at Draco.

"What, mind blowing sex? I must say I'm really not surprised. I've seen all your boyfriends!" Draco said as he buttoned his shirt, at least he buttoned the ones that were still intact.

"I'm married, Draco! I shouldn't have done this. I'm not this impulsive!" She said miserably. "I don't do things like this!"

"And maybe that's why your husband keeps going to Brown," Draco said maliciously. He instantly regretted his words as he saw tears make their way down her cheeks. "Hermione," he said as he took a step forward and placed a hand on her shoulder.

Hermione slapped his hand away angrily and took a step back. "Shut up. Malfoy, my husband may keep cheating on me, but that doesn't matter. I never cheated on him. And if I were it woild never be with a man like you."

"What's that suppose to mean?" Draco asked.

"You're broken Malfoy." She said in a harsh, quite voice. "You were always broken. Even when we were eleven. You've been brokenfor too longand you can't expect me to fix it." She said in a harsh whisper as the grip on her blanket became tighter.

Draco looked at her oddly. "I may be broken Granger, but at least I know it and can admit it."

"I, Draco, am not broken. I have people who love me. I have people who were there to pick up the pieces. I have two children at home who depend on me to be there."

"They aren't even yours Granger! Why do you act as if they are? Don't you believe that if Brown came back this second, Weasley wouldn't give her that child back? Why don't you just stay here with me?"

"Ron would never do that to me." Hermione said stubbornly. "I don't want to be with you."

"I can give you everything that Weasley has and can't. I can love you more than he ever could, because I have no real past to ever come back. My first love is dead and she's not coming back. I love you, and that's not going to change."

Hermione stared at him with wide eyes. "I can't do this now, Draco." She said softly as she moved past him and out the door.

Gregory shook his head with a small smile on his face as he saw Granger run past him in a blanket. He walked into Draco's office and frowned.

Draco was sitting at his desk, a picture in one hand and a torn piece of fabric in the other. He looked up as Gregory walked closer to him. "Yes, Goyle?" He asked slowly.

"I saw Granger run by. I came to congratulate you, Draco. You got what you wanted." Gregory gave his boss a smile and a nod.

Draco shook his head miserably as he looked back down at the picture. "I told her I loved her. Why did I do that?" He asked the larger man as he rested his head on the hand with the torn fabric.

"Because it's true?" Gregory said with a shrug as he narrowed his eyes in concern. Draco was not the picture of a guy who just had sex and exchanged "I love you's".

Draco seemed to be staring holes into his picture. "I can't be in love with her. I promised Aide when we were young that I would only love her."

Gregory closed his eyes for a moment, a picture of the green-eyed witch he had never met floating in his mind. "Boss, those were different times. You didn't know she would die."

"She would have liked Hermione, I think." Draco said in a louder tone. "They could have been friends."

"Draco, I think you should go talk to Ms Granger." Gregory said as he stood up. Draco watched as he stood up and followed suit. "She's scared on a boat with a bunch of mobsters."

"You think it's time to let her go?" Draco asked.

"I think if you don't, you are never going to have a chance to get her to love you back." Gregory turned around and walked back out the door.

Draco paused and followed Gregory out the door. He walked up a staircase and into his bedroom. He grabbed his wand off the bedside table and aimed it at the fireplace. "Incendo." He said clearly, setting off a large red flame at the base of a log. He walked over and threw a pinch of Floo powder, making the flames turn green. "Pansy Parkinson's room, Weasley house."

He waited for several seconds when Pansy's head floated into view. Her short blonde hair was set in curlers and she was glancing over her shoulder every few seconds.

"What is it?" She asked in a whisper. "And make it fast, I have to get ready."

"For what?" Draco asked, still staring at the pink curlers in her hair.

"There's a ball at five and I have to get ready." Pansy said as she reached up and tightened a curler.

"It's only one." Draco said in a deadpan voice.

"Yeah, what's your point?" She asked him with a raised eyebrow.

"Never mind Pans, I Floo-d to tell you that there's a change in plans. You are going to seduce Weasley faster. I want you to have sex with him. As soon as possible." Draco explained.

"What?" Pansy exclaimed hitting her head on the mantle of the fireplace. Rubbing her head she came back into Draco's view. "You want me to have sex with Weasley?"

"Does it really matter, Pansy? Remember when I had sex with that girl in Australia when you wanted her boyfriend?" Draco said as he crossed his arms over his chest.

Pansy rolled her blue eyes. "I remember. And it doesn't matter to me Draco, I'm indifferent remember? I'll sleep with him tonight, even if all I have to do is get him drunk. I'm thinking we're both going to have to get drunk." Pansy examined him closely. "You had sex!" She said in a loud whisper. "With Granger?" She asked his skeptically. It wasn't in Hermione's style to sleep with the bad boy.

"Yes, I did." Draco admitted. He could never lie to Pansy. "Go get ready Pansy." Draco said as he ended the connection.

Pansy turned quickly as she heard a knock at her door. "Come in," she yelled as she ran over to her bed and laid on it.

Ron walked into his room and adverted his eyes. "You're just wearing a nightie." He said slowly, quickly glancing at her.

"I haven't put my dress robes on yet. We do have several hours until we have to go," Pansy said as she began to file her nails.

"Who were you talking to?" He asked her as he forced himself to turn away from her.

"Myself," Pansy said as she stood up and walked over to him. She turned him around and smiled at him. "You can look at me." She said as she rolled her eyes.

Ron looked only at her face. "Oh," he said slowly as he began to back away. "That's all I wanted to know." He said as he walked out the door, shutting it firmly behind him.

Pansy rolled her eyes as Harry and Ron hugged in the living room. She stood to the side, arms crossed next to Loony Lovegood. For what seemed like the thousandth time that evening, Pansy looked over Luna's outfit.

It was the oddest shade of purple and blue mixed together with odd beads of different colours placed everywhere. Her hair was raised up on her head with the odd scraggily blonde stand hanging down. She was wearing her usual Butterbeer cork necklace with matching earrings.

Pansy stepped over to the two men and rolled her eyes. "I think I'm going to go for a walk. I'll meet you guys there."

Harry raised an eyebrow and shrugged as Pansy walked out the door. "Did anyone else find it odd that she was wearing red?"

Hermione looked over the letters in her hand once more. She never made it her business to go through other people's things. In fact, she despised those who did. Hermione hated gossip.

Although, Hermione wasn't even sure if this could be constituted as gossip. She was sure she wasn't going to tell anyone. After all, who could she tell, Goyle?

Her head shot up as the doorknob turned. "Shit," she muttered under her breath as she stuffed the letters under her mattress.

She let out a sigh of relief when she realized that the person wasn't Draco, only to again sigh in frustration because it was Pansy.

"What do you want?" Hermione asked the woman coolly.

"I came to stop by and see Draco quickly. I had to watch a love fest over at your house. It disgusted me." Pansy responded as she walked into the room and closed the door behind her.

"Love fest?" Hermione asked with a cocked eyebrow.

"Not an orgy or anything like that. I could handle that. Potter and Loony Lovegood came over because '_we're all suppose to go to The Gala together_.'" She explained, her voice rising to a mocking tone near the end.

"Of course _you _could handle an orgy," Hermione quipped with a raised eyebrow and hands folded over her chest.

Pansy's eyes narrowed. "I'm not the only one who enjoys the occasional shag now and again."

"What's that suppose to mean?" Hermione asked the blonde as she dropped her hands to her sides.

"Oh, come on, Granger, it's just us girls. Tell me, who do you dream about at the end of the day Ron or Draco? Now, I know it's a tough decision. Yeah, they are both powerful, passionate men. Unfortunately for you, neither one learned to share. Even withas many siblings asRon has. Otherwise _maybe_ you could have both of them - you know, like alternating nights? Or, hey! What about all three of you togehter? That'd be a kick! Who is it you dream about at night, Hermione?" Pansy asked her cruelly.

"Shut up." Hermione hissed.

"The truth hurts, doesn't it? You want Ron for the main course and Draco on the side. Guess what, Honey? It isn't gonna fly."

"I'm married to Ron. Draco means absolutly nothing to me, Parkinson. Stop trying to make it more than it is." Hermione said.

"Make it more then it is? There's nothing past sex." Pansy said with a shake of her head.

"Don't blame me because you could get off from sparks out of the fire."

**"**You're the one that's on fire, Honey. Draco is under your skin, and he knows it. He's not going anywhere, and you don't want him to. Oh, and remember - if I can see it, Ron will too."

Draco walked in and raised an eyebrow. "Why are you here, Pansy? And what's with the dress robes?" He asked her, as he looked her over. "They're nice."

Pansy gave a mock twirl before giving Draco a big hug. "Why, thank you. You're not so bad yourself. Not as good as me…."

"Few are," Draco responded.

"But you still try."

"I strive to live up to your beauty. Now you have a job to do, so why are you here?" Draco asked her as he crossed his arms. He looked back at Hermione briefly, who was glaring at him.

"Love fest." She said shortly. "I have to go though, so walk me to the door?"

"Gregory can do it, yes?" Draco said nodding his head.

"Oh, sure." Pansy said picking up on the hint. She walked out the door and looked at Greg, who was standing guard, per usual. "What the hell was that? There was more tension in there than I have ever seen before. I thought the UST was now RST?"

Gregory shook his head with a small smile. "Draco's in love with her." He said with a knowing look.

"No way. Draco with the Bookworm?" Pansy said in shock. "You know, I had no idea she even had sex. Guess the Ice Queen isn't as icy as we made her out to be, eh?"

Gregory shrugged as the two reached the door. "Have fun at your little dance thingy tonight."

"How did you know?" She asked him as she stepped out the open door.

"You only wear colour to special occasions with special people." He said as he closed the door.

Pansy nodded and made her way down the yacht and onto the docks. She hid behind a wall as she head footsteps.

"The issue in question here is Terrence's innocence or guilt, not my romantic life." Lisa said with a tone of disgust.

**"**Well, if that's what you can call it. You seem to express attraction like some sort of 9-year-old schoolgirl, picking fights and throwing insults around. What happens when you reach your crescendo? Do you punch the object of your affection in the arm?" Ernie taunted.

"Clearly, you're defensive about your impotence in the courtroom." She said with her hands on her hips as the two stopped walking.

"Oh?"

"Otherwise, you wouldn't be overcompensatingby making personal attacks on me."

"Here come the insults, right on cue." Ernie said as he started to walk again.

**"**That's right." Lisa said as she caught up with him.

"Lisa, if you want to ask me out for a drink, why don't you just come right out like a big girl and ask me instead of resorting to school-yard tactics?"

"I would rather die of thirst than ever have a drink with you." She said as she crossed her arms.

"Are we not technically on a date? We are going to The Gala together. The social event of the year."

Lisa stuck her nose in the air. "It was only because we have both been spending so much time in the court room and we didn't have time to get dates."

"Keep telling yourself that, love." He said as he picked up his pace.

"Don't call me love!" She said as she tried to keep up with him.

"Talk about UST," Pansy said as she followed behind them. In what seemed like no time at all, she reached the hall that The Gala was being held at.

She made her way inside and stood on her tiptoes to see around the hall.

"Did I tell you that I like that colour on you?" A voice said from behind her.

Pansy jumped and spun around. "Blaise!" She said as she hugged her old friend. "You look hot!" She said over the orchestra in the background. She turned to Ginny and smiled. "Did the robes do what we thought they would do?" Pansy asked.

Ginny nodded and looked up at Blaise. "We almost didn't make it in time!" She said jokingly.

"Why not?" Ron asked as he came up behind Pansy. "Why wouldn't you make it in time?" He asked his sister again before he turned to Blaise. "Excuse us," Ron said as he dragged Pansy off to the side. "Why are they together?"

"Attraction?" Pansy guessed. "Just a stab in the dark." _Of which never works._

"You were suppose to make him fall in love with you!" Ron exclaimed as he threw his arms in the air.

"I can't make him fall in love with me, just like I can't make you fall in love with me!" Pansy exclaimed before she slammed her hands over her mouth. Her blue eyes widened to be the size of saucers and she took a step back.

Ron looked down at the blonde who was staring ahead. "Er, you do look pretty tonight." He said after a moment.

Pansy looked up at him, thankful he let it go.

"Do you want to dance?" He asked her as he held his hand out.

"I heard you hated dancing." She said ass he cocked her head to one side and placed her hand in his.

"I do." He said as he dragged her out to the dace floor.

Vega arrived on the arm of Sirius, who was grinning like an idiot. "Remember why were here, right Sirius?"

"Of course, piss off Zander and make Sage mine." He said as he waved to his parents.

Vega scratched her eyebrow and forced a smile on her face. She found it odd when she discovered that Sirius was her cousin. He seemed nothing like the rest of her family. "And how are we going to make Sage jealous?"

Sirius merely smiled once more and dragged her over to a table, nearly tripping over someone's legs. He stopped at a table and pulled a chair out for Vega.

Vega sat down and smiled warily at the people at the table. She caught the eye of Remus Lupin who gave her a sympathetic smile as Sirius sat beside her. She obligingly put a hand on his arm and smiled at Sage.

"Hello, Mr. Snape!" Sirius said waving across the table.

Vega's head shot up and she looked at the man in shock. She had seen pictures of Draco's once favourite professor.

He seemed to force a smile on his face. "Hello Sirius," his head turned to look at Vega. "And who is this?"

"This is my date, Vega Les-Smith," he said looking at Sage. Vega ducked her head. Not wanting her newfound cousin to know that she was here, she made up a last name. A bad last name.

Severus's eyebrows rose but he didn't say a word. "That's a… nice name," he said. "Where do you go to school?"

"Er, France." She said as she folded her arms on the table.

"Hmm," Severus said skeptically.

This new girl, Vega, looked exactly like Bellatrix did when they were in school together. The same long dark hair, the same eyes, and the same complexion. The were identical.

There was not only that, but she seemed to

Severus shot a glare as Sage laughed at something Zander had said.

Now, if there was something Severus was, it was overprotective of his young daughter.

_Not that young, _a voice in his mind reasoned.

_Young enough for me to protect her, _the other side of his mind reasoned.

_She's always young enough for that! _A third side joined in.

It wasn't as though Severus _hated _the boy. He didn't trust him and found him to be cocky. So Severus disliked him.

His saving grace was his job as a waiter. Damn, that boy could serve a perfect cup of coffee.

Draco walked back into Hermione's room, where he left just a few hours previous. "Er, Hermione? Can we talk?" He asked as he took a step forward.

"Does it matter what I say?" She asked him, not bothering to look up. "You're going to talk either way."

"Right," Draco said as he stopped in front of the bed. "Hermione, I love you."

"Please don't start that again," she pleaded.

"It's true!" Draco insisted.

"You don't even know what love is," she spat out, before immediately regretting the words. "If you really loved me, you wouldn't have told Pansy we had sex!" Hermione yelled.

Draco looked shocked. "What did she say to you?" He asked her.

"It doesn't matter! You don't know what love is or you wouldn't have told the woman whose hated me for the past twenty years!"

Draco looked at her for a moment. "I may be a horrible person, Mrs. Weasley. I may be a professional killer and I may not have treated you well at school. I do know what love is. I love you. I love Pansy and I love Vega. And I loved Aida."

"I know. You are not what I thought you were." Hermione said as she looked up at him.

"All I am is a very flawed man that loves you. Hermione, in my defense I thought I could make you happy. I still do. And that's why I'm letting you go."

I'm really sorry for the long lack of an update! My computer crashed and I went on vacation. I couldn't help it!

slyswn28: Hee hee! I love Blaise so very much. I'm glad you're in love with the story.

XOxOkIsSmYaSsXoXo: You'll find out next chapter! ;)

Flavagurl: Here you go:

Vega: Daughter to Bellatrix and cousin to Draco. Lives alone in an apartment bought by Draco. Best friends with people twice her age. Brat and unpopular. Big bitch.

Sage: Daughter of Severus and best friends with **Sirius **and **Zander. **Nice girl. Over protective father.

Zander: Alexander Weasley. Nephew to Ron, son to Bill. Lives with his family at the Weasley home. Mother died at a young age. Waiter at The Café.

Sirius: Named for best friend of father Remus and cousin to mother Nymphadora. Clumsy and very sweet. Bumbling and uncomfortable. Living proof that Nice Guys Finish Last.

Daniel: Son of Charlie and unknown who both died. Living with Uncle Ron and Hermione.

Matthew: Son of Ron and Lavender.

Aida: Dead love of Draco. Was murdered in a raid.

Amélie: Wife to Severus and mother to Sage.

FredandGeorgeWeasleyareMYKings: Thanks! You rock as well!

Phew!

See you guys next update!

Catherine

REMEMBER TO REVIEW, PLEASE! I WILL LOVE YOU.

Well, maybe not love as I've never met you…

I'll like you though!


	9. The Gala

**Disclaimer**: Right… I really don't own Harry or Luna or Draco or Hermione yadda, yadda, yadda. They all belong to JKR an not me, blah, blah, blah. I do own a few things, anyway. 

**Author's Note**: Ever see General Hospital? No? Oh well. Basically it's a soap opera (yes a soap opera. What?). Some storylines are based on the storylines from General Hospital.

Spoilers up to and including The Order of the Phoenix

**Rating**: PG-14 for language, violence, kidnapping, and sexual themes. 

**-**

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"I know. You are not what I thought you were." Hermione said as she looked up at him.

"I'm just a flawed man who loves you. Hermione, in my defense I thought I could make you happy, I still do. And that's why I'm letting you go." He said slowly, regretting the words as they came out.

"What? Why?" Hermione said slowly.

"I can't do this anymore. I can't know I'm the one that's bringing you all this pain." Draco said as he stared down at the floor.

"You're the one who started all this Draco! You never do _anything_ unless it has something in it for you! That's just the way you are Draco. That's always been the way you are." Hermione said maliciously as she stood up.

Draco looked back at her. "You don't know anything about me, _Mrs. Weasley._"

"Why do you say it like that?" Hermione asked him.

"Because that's all you've become. You're another version of Weasley's mother. All you do anymore is complain and whine. And yes, I did fall in love with you. I fell in love with you through glimpses of what you use to be. Of what you can be if you would just let yourself."

"You know why I complain and whine? It's because I am a mother and a wife. I worry every second of every day about my children and my husband. That's what it means to be a mother, Malfoy." Hermione said as she shook her head. "You obviously don't really love me."

"That's not true," Draco said as he took a step towards her. "I love you." Hermione let out a slight scoffing noise and turned away. "Hey," Draco said as he put both hands on either side of Hermione's face. "I love you, and it is for you. Through the glimpses of what you use to be and for what you are now. I love the way you worry for you children. I love the way that you command my men around. I love the way you complain about Pansy's clothes.

"And your right, Hermione. I'm not doing this because I suddenly grew a conscious. The morality that you have doesn't exist for people like me, or Pansy or Gregory. I'm only doing this because I love you. But I no longer have a use for you to be here. If I don't let you go now, I'll never have a chance to be with you later." He said with a shrug.

"You'll never have a chance to be with me, Draco." Hermione said as she pulled away from him.

"I believe I already did, didn't I?" He said, a smirk gracing his face. "You remember, right? On the couch of my office and of course the floor? I remember the way you-"

"Stop," Hermione said as she held up a hand.

Draco sighed and laced his fingers through Hermione's hand. "I'm doing this for you Hermione. You will love me back."

"No," Hermione said shaking her head.

"Yes, you will. You have to stop pretending, Hermione. You can't keep pretending to love Weasley. We both know you don't. Hell Hermione! All of Port Ryan is very aware that the beloved union of one Weasley and Granger is very over."

"That's not true." Hermione said as she wrenched her hand away from him. She closed her eyes as she remembered Luna's words to her before her kidnapping.

"It is," he said as he reached into the inside pocket of his jacket. He pulled out her wand and handed it to her. "If you're going to leave, do it now."

"Thank you," she said softly as she walked past him to the door. She turned the doorknob before turning to find Draco watching her. "Goodbye, Draco."

"It's not goodbye, Hermione. I do _not_ give up _that_ easily." Draco said with a half smile before sitting on her bed.

Hermione shook her head and walked out the door, closing it soundlessly behind her.

* * *

Luna smiled up at Harry as the two of them sat across from Pansy and Ron. Harry couldn't help but occasionally glare at Pansy as she laughed along with Ron.

To Harry, it seemed as though Pansy was just making the wedge that was already between this family, no matter how extended it was, apart.

She was a home wrecker to Harry. She flirted and taunted his best friend with what could be called sexual advances until he forgot about his troubled marriage. She seemed to be wearing the low cut dress that revealed and pushed up her cleavage to taunt Ron, getting a look of satisfaction in her eyes as Ron's strayed down to her chest.

She was exactly like Lavender in his opinion, which did not give her many points in Harry's scorebook. If anything, it deducted many.

Ron glanced down at his watch and looked at Pansy. "We should be going. We have to pick up the boys from my Mum's in the morning." He explained to Harry and Luna as he stood up and helped Pansy to her feet.

"Bye!" Pansy said with mock enthusiasm as she began walking away.

Ron shrugged and followed after the blonde.

Harry kept a fake smile plastered on his face until they were both out the door. "Merlin!" He said as he laughed a little. "I thought they'd never leave! If I had to put up with Pansy for one more minute!"

"I actually thought she acted quite well for some one in her position." Luna said with a shrug.

"In her position?"

"Well, Harry, she is out of her element. The lot of us, we were all on the side of Dumbledore. Her whole family was supporters of Voldemort. You cannot expect her to feel comfortable. It's like a Rovenhimer intermingling with a Basherin." Luna said with a shrug.

Harry nodded. He knew better than to argue with Luna when she talked about her most likely fictional animals. "Let's go for a walk." Harry said standing up. He pulled her to her feet and the two walked out of the party.

The two walked side by side in the warm July weather. They hardly said a word to each other, choosing instead to watch the scenery pass by.

Luna smiled up at Harry dreamily as she sat down on a nearby bench. "It's perfect weather tonight. Not too hot, not too cold."

Harry stood in front of her and let out a sigh. "Now or never," he muttered under his breath. "Luna I have something to tell you." He said as he twisted his hands together.

"Anything, Harry." She said gazing at him through her watery, blue eyes.

Harry gave her a wavering smile and stared at the ground. He wanted nothing more than for Sirius, his godfather Sirius, to be there and tell him what to do and what to say. Apparently Sirius had been quite the man with the ladies.

Something Harry sorely did not know anything about.

Although currently, he'd settle for Seamus. "Luna, do you remember that time where you and I went to Germany to track down Biem?"

"Of course I do Harry. It was a very successful mission." Luna said with a smile.

"Well, remember before we found him and we were staying a cheap motel, right? And we were sitting in our pajamas and you were telling me not to get discouraged because we couldn't find him. You told me that Germany was a large country and that I would find him.

"Luna, it was at that point that you were, you are the only person who could ever reassure me of anything. You have always been there. You're the only person I can count on.

"Ever since we moved here, Ron, Hermione and I have grown apart. It's like a wedge drove between us. It's been like this since Ron started with Lavender and Hermione with her job. You're there for me and have been ever since we met.

"Luna, the point I'm trying to make is… the point is- is the fact that I-I-Ihaveacrushonyou, willyougooutwithme?" Harry asked slurring his words together.

Luna looked at Harry for a moment. Her usual watery eyes looked even more watery. "You-you have a crush on me?" She asked him in the most serious tone he had ever heard her use.

Harry shifted slightly and sat down next to her. Turning to face her, he took her hands in his. "Luna, I've had a crush on you for two years. Don't you ever wonder why I haven't had a date? Why I flirted with you? Why I question the guys you go out with?"

"You're a secret agent. I thought it was in the job description." Luna said with a shrug. "As for the flirting thing, I just thought you were drunk."

Harry sighed. "I was never a good flirt." He admitted. The two were silent for a minute, both lost in their own worlds. "Would you like to go on a date with me Luna?" He asked as he let go of one of her hands and attempted to flatten his messy hair.

"I'd love to go on a date with you Harry," Luna said as she pulled his hand down and messed his hair up again. "Although that was two years ago. You could have told me." She said before standing up and continuing to walk.

Harry sat completely still, with his mouth open. "I could have ended my torment earlier?"

Luna gave him a shrug and took his hand before dragging him off. "Come on, this is a prime time to find Gallyhooks!"

* * *

Pansy laughed loudly as she listened to Ron retell a story about him and two of his brothers in their old childhood home. She smiled as she watched him tell it with much vigor, using wild hand gestures and using different voices.

"Do you ever miss your old home?" She asked him as she took a sip of her Butterbeer. The two had ditched the Gala and went to The Café.

Ron shrugged as he stirred his Butterbeer with the straw. "There are some things that I miss about it. I miss the homey feeling that it had. My parent's new house isn't as intimate. I grew up there so…" he trailed off, expecting her to jump in.

Pansy sighed. "I wouldn't know." She said before wincing. She didn't really want to get into this right now. _You're supposed to seduce him! Not whine about your crappy childhood!_

Ron furrowed his eyebrows. "What do you mean by that?" He asked.

Pansy shook her head. "It's not a big deal." She said before raising her eyes to meet his. He was looking at her with his blue eyes that held confusion and curiosity. "My childhood house wasn't much of a home, that's all."

"Why not?" Ron asked her.

"I spent most of my childhood avoiding my parents. I went over to Blaise's every day with Draco and we stayed in this huge tree house while Blaise's mum made cookies." She said with a shrug. "It's not a big deal."

Ron tilted his head to one side and watched her. She sipped her drink through lowered eyelids. She looked sad as she drew designs on the table absentmindedly. Her blonde hair began to fall out of its bun and was falling into her eyes.

Ron placed a hand on hers, causing the patterns to stop. "Your whole childhood couldn't be that bad."

Pansy lifted her eyes to meet his. "You're right," she admitted. "I had my brother." She looked back at the grain in the wooden table. "It wasn't as bad as when I was a teenager."

"What happened then?" Ron asked, feeling like he opened an unwanted can of worms.

"You and your gang of do-gooders killed my entire family." Pansy said as she took her hand out from under his. She placed both hands in her lap and closed her eyes. "You took my brother from me." Her voice cracking as she bit back tears.

If there was one thing Pansy hated more than do-gooders it was crying. She was always told crying was a sign of weakness and the last thing she could ever be was weak. Not in the business she was in.

"I'm sorry, Pansy." Ron said as he moved around the table and bent down to hug the blonde. She buried her head into his shoulder and continued to fight tears. "I didn't know. It never occurs to you at the time…"

"That those people have people that love them," Pansy finished for him as she wrapped her arms around his back. She attempted to reach her nose to wipe it. "It's fine Ron," she said in his ear. "It's in the past."

Ron pulled back a knelt down in front of her. Putting both his hands on either side of her and looked skeptical. "Alright," he said as he raised an eyebrow.

"It really is fine, Ron. In truth, I learned to cope with it a long time ago. Did I ever tell you about the time when Blaise, Draco and I snuck into Hogsmeade?"

* * *

Vega stood at the punch table and attempted to seem interested as some adults tried to talk to her. She frankly didn't even know why she was acting interested. Usually in this situation, a one she had so often been in what with her Aunt Narcissa's dinner parties, she wouldn't have tried. Although she really didn't like Narcissa and that may have had something to do with it.

Zander watched Vega laugh from across the room. For one reason or another, he didn't trust her. He loved his best friend who he has known all his life, but if there was one thing Sirius didn't get, it was girls. Ever.

The thing about Sirius was that he was the type of guy that girls loved.

Like a brother, anyway.

In all their sixteen years together, Sirius had never had a girlfriend. Not that he was antisocial by any reason. The Slytherins didn't date him because he was a klutz, the Hufflepuffs didn't date him because he loud, the Ravenclaws didn't date him because he wasn't all that smart and the Gryffindors thought of him like a brother.

So that left him… where?

_With the new girl, _Zander thought to himself. _Although, he wouldn't need to be with the new girl if you weren't such an ass, Alexander Weasley. You know he's been in love with Sage since they were old enough to feel emotions._

Zander looked guiltily over to his two best friends who were laughing loudly in the corner, causing Severus Snape to rub his temples and glare at the two.

"Well, well. Is a Weasley actually feeling guilt?" Vega said in his ear from behind him.

Zander spun around and rolled his eyes. "I have nothing to feel guilty for." He snapped and crossed his arms over his chest.

"Fine, don't snap at me!" Vega said as she waved a hand. "Do you even know who I am?" She asked him slowly.

"No, because no one does. Your new," Zander said with a shrug as he went back to looking at his friends.

"So, jealous then?" Vega asked him as she looked over his shoulder. Vega knew she was going against Sirius's plan of attack, so to speak. Truth be told, however that the young Lupin boy was not the best plan maker. In fact his plans could be called _lame. _

"I have nothing to be jealous of," Zander smirked. "_I _am the one Sage came with. _I _am the one she likes."

"And I wonder why that is." Vega said as she put a hand to her chin in thought.

"And what in Merlin's name is that suppose to mean?" Zander asked incredulously as he spun on his heel to face her.

"It means that you don't really seem like the nicest person." Vega said as she crossed her arms over her chest. "You ever think she's with you because _daddy _doesn't like you?" Vega taunted as a cruel smirk played on her features.

"Does your daddy approve of our young Sirius?" Zander said as mimicked Vega's stance.

"Well I really don't know," Vega said as her hands dropped. "My daddy's dead." She said before walking towards Sage and Sirius.

"Alexander you really are an ass!" He scolded himself once more before following the brunette.

* * *

Hermione couldn't help but squeal when she reached her house. She slammed the door behind her and ran to the middle of the room. "Ron? Boys?" She yelled but received only silence. "Pansy?" She said more quietly.

She shrugged and ran over to the couch. She took a flying leap and snuggled into her couch. It wasn't as comfortable as Draco's however.

_No, bad Hermione, _she though to herself, _bad thoughts._

The last thing Hermione wanted to think about on her first few moments home after three weeks was her infidelity and the way Draco's body molded into hers.

_BAD!_

Hermione's head swiveled to the door as the knob was being turned.

Pansy looked at Ron through heavy lidded eyes. A slight smirk graced her face as he looked at her over his shoulder.

"What are you looking at?" He asked with a goofy grin.

"You," she said truthfully. "I really want you to know that I had a really good time tonight. Even when I was… you know," Pansy said shift6ing from foot to foot.

"No worries, Pansy!" Ron said with a shrug. "It was probably the best time I've had since- well, a long time."

Pansy gave him a seductive smile and leaned towards him. Ron shifted awkwardly for a moment before mimicking her actions. The two met with a crash of their lips and Ron began to open the front door.

"Ron!" The shrieking voice of his wife sounded in his ears. "What in the hell do you think your doing?"

* * *

Muhaha! Cliffhanger! Sorry, had to be done.

Now, I do have a question to ask. Who would you like to see Vega with? Sirius or Zander. She has chem with both! One is her cousin (kind of) and one is an ass.

slyswn28: I'm glad you love it! Pansy and Greg are two of my favourites, frankly. They rock to a major degree. As for Ron, he isn't really modeled after anyone. Obviously, his situation is similar to Sonny's but in no way is he like Sonny. Ron's original.

FredandGeorgeWeasleyareMYKings: Draco can act like an adult when he wants to. He is a bit of a sap. He tries to hide it, but that doesn't always work. Only Hermione, Vega and Pansy get to see it though.

ladyspirit: Welcome!

Stargirl1066lkl: I enjoy subplots and twists. Makes life fun!

Flavagurl: No problem!

TaKeFlIgHtDrAcOLuVr: They are fun, aren't they?

I must now go on a weekend trip to see my mother's friends (WHY!).

REVIEW PLEASE!

Catherine


	10. The Next Day

**Disclaimer**: Right… I really don't own Harry or Luna or Draco or Hermione yadda, yadda, yadda. They all belong to JKR an not me, blah, blah, blah. I do own a few things, anyway. 

**Author's Note**: Grr… I am so mad at myself! I have been so swamped with school work and trying to find a job. Harry Potter is coming out in a few days! Yay!

Spoilers up to and including The Order of the Phoenix

**Rating**: PG-14 for language, violence, kidnapping, and sexual themes. 

-

Ron gaped in shock.

_Hermione's home._

_Hermione came back._

_Hermione caught me snogging Pansy. Oh, crap._

"Her-Hermione?" He said questionably. He was slightly suspicious. In the wizarding world you could never be too sure.

Hermione stood stone faced. Her hands were crossed tightly over her chest with fingernails digging into her arms. Ron knew this look. He got it when he slept with Lavender.

"Hermione, nothing happened!" Ron said as Pansy snorted behind him. "Well, besides kissing." He trailed off. He moved forward to hug his wife, but she held a hand in front of her.

Hermione shook her head. "Whatever, Ron. I understand."

"You do?" He asked with a sigh of relief.

"Yes. I could have been dead. You didn't even know where I was. I was kidnapped by the way, in case you care. I might never have came back and you wanted to make sure that you wouldn't have to be alone. But I get it Ron, because that's the way you are. You can never be alone." Hermione informed him.

Ron shook his head. "Hermione, it wasn't like that." Ron rubbed both his hands over his face and looked pleadingly at Pansy.

Pansy nodded lightly and made her way up the stairs, all the while attempting to conceal a smile.

"So you were kidnapped." Ron said weakly.

"Yes." Hermione said shortly.

"Who kidnapped you?" He asked her.

"I can't tell you." She informed him as she turned away.

"What!" Ron exclaimed as he walked around her to look at her face. "Why can't you tell me?"

"Because I promised that if they let me go, I'd never tell anyone who kidnapped me." Hermione said, desperately wanting to tell him Pansy helped. She couldn't however, because it would get traced back to Draco. Not that she cared very much.

"Hermione, these people kidnapped you! They took you away from your children and your friends and me! We were so lost without you." He said softly as he grabbed Hermione and held her tightly to his chest.

"I know, Ron." Hermione said softly. "I know what they did, but I don't break my promises. I never have and I never will." Hermione paused for a moment. "They aren't bad people. In fact I became friends with many of the people who were with me."

"Other people who were kidnapped?" Ron asked her.

"No," she said as she pulled back from him. "Employee's. The person who kidnapped me. I really do like them and I don't want them to get hurt."

"You like people who kidnapped you?" Ron asked her incredulously. "Hermione, you aren't thinking straightly." He said, convinced of his own words.

"I am, Ron." Hermione said. She was always the one who thought clearly, so why would now be any different?

"No you aren't! They have you under a spell, Hermione."

"No they don't, Ron." Hermione said exasperatedly. She hated it when people tried to convince her to turn away from her friends. "Did you ever think that Pansy has you under a spell?"

"Never," Ron said with assurance.

"Why not?" Hermione exclaimed suddenly.

"Because she's my friend!" Ron said loudly.

"And they're my friends!" Hermione said in the same tone.

Ron sighed and sat on the couch. He stared at a bottle of nail polish that Pansy had left on the coffee table. He picked it up and examined the dark red colour.

He heard Hermione sigh and felt the couch sink as she sat on it. "All we ever do is fight." She said. "I've been home for the first time in weeks and all we can do is yell at each other." She said with a sigh.

"We fight, Hermione. It's what we do." Ron said with a shrug. "We're famous for it."

"It's all we ever do, Ron." She stared at the bottle Ron was playing with. "It isn't healthy. We haven't had the same relationship since Lavender came into the picture."

"How many times do I have to tell you I'm sorry?" Ron asked.

"Until you mean it." Hermione shook her head. "I don't think that this isn't going to work, Ron."

Ron buried his head in his hands and attempted to breath as his world collapsed.

"I'm going to go to bed," she said as she put a hand on his shoulder and lifted herself up.

Ron heard her footsteps as she climbed up the stairs. He wiped some stray tears out of his eyes as he laid down on the couch and fell asleep.

----

Pansy let out a light giggle as she gave a thought to how the confrontation downstairs was going. The look on Granger's face when she caught her and Ron kissing in the foyer was one Pansy hoped she'd _never _forget.

Now, the night hadn't gone as Pansy would have originally hoped. In revenge terms it was ten times better because there might be a break up on the horizon.

_On the other hand, I didn't get laid_, Pansy thought with a pout. _Too bad. There has to be a reason Granger stayed married to Ron for so long._

Pansy sat up on her bed and sighed. "Well, other than the fact that he's really funny." Pansy said thoughtfully. "And the sweetest guy." Pansy flopped on her back and folded her arms.

Pansy stared at the glaringly white ceiling, listening to the yells that were happening downstairs.

"_Because she's my friend!" Ron said loudly._

Pansy couldn't help but smile. It was true, no matter how much she wanted to conceal it. Her and Ron had become friends over the last few weeks.

It was odd for Pansy to have friends like Ron. Ron is someone who was good inside and out. Not like her other friends, not like her. The closest was Blaise but Blaise never really had been good no matter how nice he could be.

Now, of course Ron had his fair share of indiscretions. He did cheat on his wife, but from what she heard, it wasn't surprising.

According to Ron, the marriage was not what a little girl dreams of. He only slept with Hermione because he was drunk and married her because she was knocked up. And he only slept with Lavender because she was there.

Not exactly a dream in the making.

Not that Pansy found that to be an excuse, but it _was_ a better excuse than the one's she comes up with every time she cheats on one of her boyfriends.

And let's just say, Pansy's needed a lot excuses.

She sat up and glared at the opposite wall. It wasn't in Pansy's nature to be defending Gryffindors. And before that she complimented him? She obviously had too much Champaign at The Gala. Although, Pansy did have a high alcohol tolerance and she only had two glasses.

"Hmm," Pansy hummed under her breath as she put her chin in her hand. She was rather concerned with the lack of yelling coming from downstairs.

_What if they worked things out? _Pansy started to breath heavily. She didn't want them to work it out. She wanted the marriage to fail. She wanted Ron to be single. She wanted Draco to get what he wanted. She knew as soon as Granger was with Draco, there was no going back.

_But why? _Pansy attempted to calm her breathing and mulled over the question.

As soon as Draco gets what he wants, there's no way Granger can get Ron back. Pansy thought to herself. But why do I want it?

Revenge?

A good laugh?

Money?

Fame?

Love?

Pansy's eyes widened at the last thought. She was sure she didn't love him. She wasn't Draco; it took her a lot more than some flirting and opening up to get her to fall in love.

But could I love him one day? Pansy closed her eyes tightly.

"The second you can look at him and see your future, can see your children, it's love." Aida had said as she patted Pansy's soft golden hair.

"How can you know that from infatuation?" Pansy had asked.

"You just know. Trust me."

Pansy knew she hadn't seen her future yet. She couldn't see children with Ron. Yet.

That wasn't the question though. The question was could she love him?

He was very lovable, she supposed. Although Pansy had very little experience when it came to love. She never really fell in love with any on her many boyfriends.

Although, did it really matter? Pansy had never been in love before, save Draco, so why start now? She wasn't the type of girl who fell in love. She was the type of girl that mocked the type of girl who fell in love then sleep with that girl's boyfriend.

"Wow! I never thought I'd see the day when Pansy Parkinson had an expression of deep deliberation on her face. Must be the apocalypse." Hermione remarked dryly from the doorway. She was leaning against the white doorframe and her arms her crossed. "Let me help you out. You pick the evil one."

"Taking Draco's stance now, Granger? Seems odd. I've had a lot of sex, but I've never inherited the personality. Must be love." Pansy said acidly as she stood up.

Though her hair was messed up and her make-up was smudged, she still reminded Hermione of an aristocrat. Her posture was perfect and her robes looked like they were made just for her. She looked unwavering in her lacy, high heels and by the way her arms were crossed and how she looked down her nose at Hermione made Hermione waver slightly.

It wasn't surprising though. Most Slytherin's that Hermione came in contact with were polite, uncomfortably so, and the designation of aristocracy. Pansy being no exception to this.

"Although, I never thought I'd see the day where you got the stick that was up your ass surgically removed. Big day?" Pansy mocked as she pulled off her strappy shoes.

"Poor Pansy Parkinson. Can't come up with a better retort than those that I've heard since I met you?" Hermione said with her hands on her hips.

"Oh Goody, Gryffindor Granger. I'll keep sayin' them as long as they keep bothering you. Don't you know anything about _bullies?"_ Pansy asked with a smirk.

"If your diluted enough to actually believe that they bother me, then you are very sad."

"If it doesn't bother you, then why are you still standing here?" Pansy asked as she cocked her head to the side.

Hermione made a sound in the back of her throat before turning on her heel and stalking out the door, slamming it behind her.

Pansy flopped on her bed and sighed. "I never found out if they broke up…."

----

Vega and Sirius strolled side by side down a bridge covering a dark river. Vega couldn't help but smile at her new and only friend, no matter how down he looked.

She smiled up at him. "Don't worry about it, Sirius," she said with a wave of her hand. "We'll get her back. So, no worries, yeah?"

Sirius smiled back down at her, although his wavered slightly. "Yeah, alright." He said as he flopped down on the dark cement, his legs dangling over the edge. His arms rested leisurely against the mettle bar that ran across the side of the bridge.

Vega sat down next to him, careful not to wrinkle her dress robes. "I don't even see why you like her so much. I mean, yeah she's pretty and nice. Seems kind of lacking in the personality department, however."

"She has an awesome personality," Sirius snapped, causing Vega to smirk. "She is very nice and funny. She knows a lot of stuff that I don't know (and I don't know a lot). She-She's…"

"Lacking in personality?" Vega questioned as she turned her head to look at Sirius.

"Like yours is any better?" Sirius asked with a cocked eyebrow.

"Well, in a way yes. You see, while I may be vindictive, manipulative and bitchy, but I still have a personality." Vega said as she nodded.

"Your not bitchy." Sirius told her with a roll of his eyes.

"Stop lying."

"Alright, but your not manipulative." He said with a goofy grin playing on his face.

Vega couldn't help but let out a small laugh. "You barley know me, Sirius."

Sirius replied with a shrug before gazing off to a nearby island. "I guess I don't know people as well as I thought I did." Sirius watched as Vega shot him a questioning glance. "I mean Zander. We've been friends for years."

"And now he's all over the girl you like?" Vega asked. At seeing him nod, she continued. "You know what they say about love and war."

"All's fair?" Sirius guessed.

"Get dirty." Vega said with a smirk. "I'll help you get her." She promised with a smile before looking out at the island, formulating a plan.

----

Harry flopped down on his couch with a goofy smile plastered on his face. He wasn't able to stop smiling since Luna agreed to date him. For Harry, it seemed as if everything was finally falling into place.

_Except for Hermione, _he thought with as his smile turned into a frown. He was sure she wasn't dead. The three of them, Harry, Ron and Hermione, had a connection that went deeper than what was likely.

Harry sighed loudly. On one hand, he couldn't be happier. He finally got the girl of his dreams. Harry never really gave Luna a second thought when the two attended Hogwarts. He admired her bravery and ability to not care what people think, but never enough to fall in love with her.

He was always thankful to have her as a friend in his later teen years. She kept him grounded. Harry was always one to fly off the handle whereas Luna stayed calm. A great tactic in the time of war. He wasn't even sure if he had ever seen Luna get exceptionally mad.

The reason for his sadness however was the fact Hermione was still missing. In all reality, he had thought she would be home by now. He at least thought that there would be a word or clue from someone.

Harry knew that if anyone could take care of themselves, it was Hermione.

It wasn't a question of whether or not Hermione could take care of herself. It was a question of who, what, why and how someone could take her.

Harry mulled over this issue as Seamus walked into the apartment. Thankfully alone this time.

"Do not tell me you sat here all night!" Seamus said as he took off his shoes. Seamus, not one for fancy parties, opted to go to a pub with his other friends. Causing a huge rift in his relationship with Parvati, a girl who loves big parties. "You are becoming lamer than lame."

"I went to The Gala," Harry responded, still staring ahead. "Hence my dress robes."

"Oh yeah," Seamus said with a laugh as he walked into the small kitchen. He returned a minute later with two bottles of beer and handed one to Harry before flopping down next to him.

Harry looked over at his roommate and sighed. "So how's Parvati?" He asked him dully. It wasn't that Harry didn't like Parvati, because he really did. She didn't like him though.

"Mate, so do not want to get into _that!"_ Seamus said as he rubbed his forehead. "I forgot how bitchy she could be." Seamus looked at the wall in front of them. "It's odd, really."

"What's odd?" Harry asked as he watched Seamus.

"How when you fall in love, the little annoying things that they do turn to cute. When as soon as you fall in love bitchyness turns to spunk and even if they are only slightly nice they turn into Gods in your eyes." Seamus turned and looked at Harry with a shrug. "And when you fall out of love, they are the most annoying person you ever met."

"Seamus, I knew you and Parvati were having problems, but I never knew you fell out of love with her. You should have talked to me," Harry said as Seamus' words played through his head in a loop.

"You have bigger problems, Harry. You have you job which does, and should, take up most of your time. You have Hermione to try and find and you have Luna to impress." Seamus gave Harry a smug smile as he said that one. "I, on the other hand, spend all of my time solving other people's problems."

"You're a bartender, Seamus." Harry pointed out bluntly.

"Yeah, and it's basically psychology." Seamus said as he took a swig from his bottle. "Don't worry about me Harry. Parvati will soon realize how much she needs me. Remember, I saved her."

Harry shrugged and took a drink. True, Seamus did help Parvati get away from her abusive boyfriend, but that was three years ago. Two years of dating and Seamus never even proposed.

Seamus was never one for commitment. Parvati was his biggest commitment. Sometimes, Harry felt bad for the girl. He saw the longing look in her eye and every wedding and baby shower he ever attended. Parvati was not afraid of commitment.

"Of course, Seamus." Harry said skeptically.

----

Ginny giggled as Blaise made obscene gestures in the middle of The Café. The place was empty, save an older couple sitting in the back and a waiter and waitress. Ginny put a hand to her cheek. She had been beaming all night, thanks to Blaise's antics and now could feel the pain setting in.

Ginny hated social gatherings, especially those that were meant for the more classy people. She frankly would have just gone to a pub for the night, if it were up to her.

Blaise, on the other hand, fit right into everything. She was lucky to have him there really. She never felt like she fit in at these particular social gatherings.

A pause in conversation swept over the two. Ginny took a sip of her Butterbeer and Blaise of his coffee. Ginny set down her drink, "you know, I don't even know why they call this place 'The Café' because it says right on the building it's called 'Courtney's'."

"Easier to say?" Blaise offered with a shrug.

"I suppose." Ginny said as she looked around. The conversation had fallen into a rut, sure, but it wouldn't last long, Ginny was sure of it.

After all, silence couldn't last forever.

----

(Again! I am so sorry! I don't know when I will update again. I still have to write the next chapter. It will not be as long of a wait as this one. And yet again, I have no time but I do thank each of the reviewers! You guys are my idols!

Remember, REVIEW!

Catherine!


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